The Connecticut Sun will relocate to Texas after this season, marking the end of their time in Connecticut. The team has a rich history, including multiple Finals appearances and notable players like Alyssa Thomas and Brittney Griner.
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The Connecticut Sun are relocating to Texas as part of a decision by the WNBA, which rejected proposals to move the team to Boston or Hartford.
The Connecticut Sun have made four Finals appearances and produced multiple MVP winners, including Tina Charles and Jonquel Jones.
Key players include Alyssa Thomas, Brittney Griner, and Olivia Nelson-Ododa, who is entering her fourth season with the team.
Last season, the Connecticut Sun finished in 11th place out of 13 teams with a record of 11-33.
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The Sun hired Thibault, a former Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks assistant, to be their head coach in their inaugural season in Connecticut of 2003. Thibault immediately led Connecticut to the playoffs with an 18-16 record, and they even won their first-round series 2-0 over the Charlotte Sting to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Thibault and the Sun would make the playoffs each of the next five seasons as well, including going to the Finals in 2004 and 2005.
Anne Donovan stepped in for Thibault and coached the Sun from 2013 through 2015 without a playoff appearance. However, general manager Chris Sienko was able to draft 2014 Rookie of the Year Chiney Ogwumike at No. 1 overall during that stretch; Ogwumike became the second Sun to win the award after Charles. More significantly in the long run, Sienko traded away Charles on draft night in 2014, and one of the assets he got in return was the No. 4 pick, Alyssa Thomas, drafted by the New York Liberty. It’s funny now to think that Thomas averaged under three assists per game in each of her first three WNBA seasons, and didn’t make her first All-Star Game until her fourth, but she has become one of the best players of her generation. Often praised for her loyalty, she played 11 seasons with Connecticut. She truly became a beloved fixture, known as “The Engine.”
In 2016, the Sun hired Los Angeles Sparks assistant Curt Miller to take over the reins as head coach. In 2017, Miller led them to a 21-13 record and playoff appearance. It was the first of eight-straight playoff bids for Connecticut, with the last two coming under Stephanie White. In 2019, there was heartbreak. Losing in Game 5 of the Finals to the Mystics after a phenomenal series from Thomas, as well as then-fourth-year Sun Jonquel Jones, who had finished third in regular-season MVP voting. JJ brings it all: She is a 6-foot-6 center who can face up and drive and is a 38.3 percent 3-point shooter with 356 makes on her career. She is the ultimate versatile post, wearing No. 35 in honor of Kevin Durant. Before Thomas took her superstar turn, JJ was the most talented player on the Sun. In the 2020 semifinals, Thomas returned from a dislocated shoulder suffered in Game 2 to help lead the Sun to a 2-1 series lead over the Las Vegas Aces with a win in Game 3. Connecticut was just 10-12 in the regular season, but nearly made the Finals, beginning a trend of Playoff AT leading them further than expected. Also in 2020, Phoenix Mercury legend DeWanna Bonner joined the team and averaged 19.7 points per game. She would get engaged to Thomas before their time together in Connecticut was up. In 2021, JJ won MVP after averaging 19.4 points and 11.2 rebounds on 36.2 percent shooting from 3 and 58.4 percent shooting on 2-pointers. Also, fifth-year Sun Brionna Jones debuted as an All-Star, her first of three appearances while repping CT. The Sun finished first in the W with a record of 26-6. Unfortunately, this was the one year they underachieved in the postseason, falling in the semifinals to the eventual champion Chicago Sky. In 2022, they were back in the Finals after avenging their series loss to the Sky in the semis. Although the Aces were inevitable that year, the Sun put up a fight, stealing one of the four games. Thomas recorded two triple-doubles in the Finals! They were the third and fourth of the her season and her career, but it was just the beginning. 2023 was a year for the ages for Thomas and Sun fans. She nearly *averaged* a triple-double with 15.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 7.9 assists. She was robbed of the MVP, actually finishing first in first-place votes, but second in total voting points. She notched six regular-season triple-doubles and one in the semis, where the Sun fell to the Liberty. 2024 was the end of an era. In White’s second year at the helm, the Sun, led by the core of Thomas, Bonner and B. Jones, gave the Minnesota Lynx all they could handle in a five-game semifinal series, but fell short of the Finals. Thomas registered four more triple-doubles for 15 in a Sun uniform. No other player has more than four in their career. The core was broken up for 2025, with none of Thomas, Bonner or B. Jones remaining, though Charles did make an encore appearance in Uncasville, averaging 16.3 points before announcing her retirement ahead of 2026. She is second in WNBA history with 8,396 points and first with 4,262 rebounds. So many legends. And also so much success. Out of 24 all-time WNBA locations, Uncasville has seen its Sun record the third-highest winning percentage (.568), behind only Las Vegas and Houston. Those other two cities have done it in eight and 12 years, respectively, compared to Uncasville’s sustained success over 23. This is why it’s so hard to say goodbye, but also why Sun fans must keep their heads up and celebrate this final season. So Sun fans, let us know how you’re savoring the Sun by sharing your favorite memories from over the years in the comments.