Connecticut Sun

Connecticut Sun
Conference	Eastern
Founded	1999 (as Orlando)
History	Orlando Miracle (1999–2002) Connecticut Sun (2003–present)
Arena	Mohegan Sun Arena
City	Uncasville, Connecticut
Team colors	Navy, Gold, White, Red
Owner(s)	Mohegan Sun
General manager	Chris Sienko
Head Coach	Mike Thibault
Assistant Coach(es)	Scott Hawk Bernadette Mattox
Championships	None
Conference titles	2 (2004, 2005)
Mascot	Blaze
Official website	wnba.com

The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded before the 2003 WNBA season began. The Sun was the first WNBA franchise not to be owned by an NBA owner; the team is owned by the Mohegan Indian tribe. From 1999 to 2002, the team was known as the Orlando Miracle, playing in Orlando, Florida. Capitalizing on the popularity of women's basketball in Connecticut as a result of the success of the UConn Huskies, the Sun had the distinction of being the only WNBA team not to share its market with an NBA team from 2003 until the Seattle Supersonics moved, leaving the Storm alone in Seattle, Washington.^[1] Currently, the Sun is the only WNBA franchise (besides the defunct Miami Sol) to finish each season with fewer than 20 losses.

The Sun have qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in each of its six years in Connecticut. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as 7 foot 2 inch Margo Dydek, Indiana native Katie Douglas, University of Connecticut standouts Asjha Jones and Nykesha Sales, respected veteran forward Taj McWilliams-Franklin and 2008 MVP runner-up point guard Lindsay Whalen. In 2004 and 2005, the Sun went to the WNBA Finals but fell short to Seattle and Sacramento, respectively.^[2][3]

Franchise History

1999–2002: The Orlando Miracle

Before the franchise relocated to Connecticut in 2003, the team was known as the Orlando Miracle. The Miracle played their games at TD Waterhouse Centre (Orlando, Florida) as the sister team of the Orlando Magic. The Orlando Miracle placed reasonable records in their four years of existence, and earned the third seed in the 2000 WNBA playoffs. After the 2002 WNBA season, the NBA sold off all of the WNBA franchises to the operators of the teams.^[4] As a result, the Orlando Magic ownership was no longer interested in keeping the Miracle. Since no local ownership was found, the Orlando Miracle were bought by the Mohegan Native American Tribe. On January 28, 2003, it was announced that the Orlando Miracle would immediately move to Uncasville, Connecticut and change their nickname to the Sun (in reference to the Mohegan Sun casino owned by the tribe).^[5] It is also worth noting that the Connecticut Sun's nickname, color scheme, and logo are very reminiscent of another defunct Florida-based franchise, the Miami Sol, which folded at the same time as the Orlando Miracle.

2003–Present: The Connecticut Sun

2003: Rebuilding in Connecticut

With a new home in Uncasville and two former UConn Huskies on the roster, the Connecticut Sun entered the 2003 season looking to build upon a 2002 campaign in which they missed the playoffs due to a tiebreaker with the Indiana Fever. The Sun underwent a total overhaul during the offseason. They acquired former University of Connecticut star Rebecca Lobo from the Houston Comets and selected Debbie Black in the Miami Sol/Portland Fire dispersal draft. Additionally, general manager Chris Sienko named Mike Thibault, a coaching veteran with two NBA titles as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, as the first head coach for the franchise. ^[6]

Despite making essential acquisitions and creating depth in the roster, the Connecticut Sun were predicted to finish towards the end of the Eastern Conference standings. On May 24, 2003, the Connecticut Sun hosted their first regular-season game, which was shown on ABC. They fell 82-71 to the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Sparks before a sellout crowd of 9,341. However, the Connecticut Sun won their next regular-season game by defeating the Comets in Houston, 91-83. The Sun also won their first home game, defeating Houston 65-58 at Mohegan Sun Arena. At the conclusion of the 2003 regular season, the Connecticut Sun surprised everybody by finishing with an 18-16 record, thus clinching the first playoff berth in their history. In the opening round, the Sun won their first postseason series by sweeping the second-seeded Charlotte Sting. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Connecticut Sun faced the Detroit Shock. The Shock were victorious in all four games against the Sun in the regular season. Nonetheless, the Connecticut Sun finally succumbed to the eventual WNBA champion Detroit Shock in two hard-fought games. ^{[7] [8]}

That the Detroit Shock swept the series 2-0 did nothing to diminish what the Sun accomplished in their first season in Connecticut. The 2003 season was highlighted by a number of other noteworthy accomplishments. Nykesha Sales and Shannon Johnson both achieved milestones by scoring 2,000 career points. As the season progressed, the Connecticut Sun attracted an increasing number of fans to the Mohegan Sun Arena, averaging 7,195 per game after the All Star break.

2004–2005: The Rising Horizon

Head coach Mike Thibault surprised many by trading all-star point guard Shannon Johnson for the 4th pick in the WNBA Draft.^[9] With that pick the Sun selected Minnesota Golden Gophers star Lindsay Whalen amidst rumors they would trade her to the Minnesota Lynx.^[10] However, she remained on the team as the Sun posted an 18-16^[11] record in an equally-talented Eastern Conference, winning the #1 seed. In the first round, the Sun defeated the Washington Mystics 2-1. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Sun rolled on, sweeping the New York Liberty. The Sun had made it to the WNBA Finals in their second season of existence. In the Finals, their run would end, as they lost a hard-fought three-game series, 2-1, to the Seattle Storm.^[2]

In the 2005 off season, the Sun acquired 7'2" center Margo Dydek.^[12] With a dominant post presence, the hungry Sun controlled the Eastern Conference, posting a 26-8 record,^[13] the best regular season record for an Eastern Conference team in WNBA history.^[14] In the playoffs, the Sun flew to the finals, sweeping the Detroit Shock and the Indiana Fever. In the 2005 WNBA Finals, the Sun were matched up against an equally dominant Sacramento Monarchs team. Also against the Sun's luck, Lindsay Whalen played through the series with injuries. The Sun had home-court advantage, but it was of no use; the Sun lost the Finals for the second straight year, 3 games to 1, in the first WNBA Finals played in a best-of-five format.^[3]

The success of the franchise was rewarded in 2005, when the Sun were selected to host the annual WNBA All-Star Game. The All-Star game was arguably the most exciting in WNBA history with the two teams combining for 221 points. At the end of the game, Lisa Leslie became the first woman to ever dunk in an All-Star Game.^[15]

2006–2007: A Disappointing End and a New Battle

In 2006, the Sun would match their 2005 record^[16] and it looked like a return trip to the Finals was certain. Mike Thibault received the WNBA Coach of the Year Award, and it appeared as if no team could stop the Sun. All five starters were named to the WNBA Eastern Conference All-Star team: Katie Douglas, Margo Dydek, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Nykesha Sales, and Lindsay Whalen. This feat had never before been achieved in WNBA history. In the playoffs, the Sun would quickly sweep the Washington Mystics. But in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Sun were upset by the Detroit Shock, 2 games to 1, on the Sun's home floor.^[17]

The Sun stumbled out of the gate in 2007, posting a dismal 5-10 record by late June. However, the Sun stormed back into playoff contention by winning 11 of their next 13 games, to finish the regular-season at 18-16,^[18] good enough to win the #3 seed in the Eastern Conference. In the playoffs, the Sun faced the Indiana Fever in the first round. The Sun came into the series having won all four regular-season contests against the Fever. In Game 1, despite holding a 17-point lead in the third quarter, the Sun allowed the Fever to force the first triple-overtime game in WNBA playoff history, ending with a 93-88 victory for the Sun. However, the Fever would respond by winning the next two games and therefore the series, including a playoff record 22-point come-from-behind win in Game 3.^[19]

The 2007 season was the end of the Connecticut Sun that many fans had come to know.

2008–2009: In Search for Prestige

The front office knew something had to be done to save the team from another disappointing finish. During the 2007-08 off-season, the Connecticut Sun made major changes to their roster in an effort to win that ever-elusive championship title. The Sun made three trades, one sending Katie Douglas, the face of the franchise, to the Indiana Fever. In return, the Sun received Tamika Whitmore who would surely create a physical presence in the paint, something that the Sun had been lacking in previous years.^[20] Following that monumental trade, Nykesha Sales announced she would sit out the 2008 season due to multiple nagging injuries.^[21] 7'2" center Margo Dydek also took the season off due to her pregnancy.^[22] With three former starters missing from the Sun lineup, most sports critics and publications predicted the team to finish fourth in the East. Some even claimed the Sun would finish sixth, only ahead of the expansion Atlanta Dream.

Contrary to these predictions, the Sun started the season with an outstanding 8-1 record. Soon, however, the team found itself in a disappointing slump. The Sun went on a five-game losing streak, the worst ever for a team under Mike Thibault. The team finished the regular season with a 21-13 record which placed them second in the Eastern Conference, only one game out of first place.^[23] In the playoffs, the Sun's youth and inexperience caught up to them; the New York Liberty won game three on the Sun's home floor and for the second straight year, the Sun failed to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.^[24]

Exceeding many expectations during the 2008 rebuilding season, the Sun looked to come back even stronger in 2009. There was no reason to believe the Sun would not contend for playoff position. During the first six seasons the team has been in Connecticut, the Sun have tied the highest winning record of any team in the WNBA during that time period, posting a record of 127-77, translating into a winning percentage of .623. The Detroit Shock has the same exact record for those six years. That success has reflected itself in the team's attendance, which has surged from 6,025 in 2003 to 7,644 in 2008.

Mohegan Sun Arena filling up before a game.

The 2009 WNBA All-Star Game was held on July 25 at 3:30pm in the Mohegan Sun Arena. It was the second time the Sun had hosted the game. It was broadcast nationally on ABC (HD).^[25] Like the two previous seasons, they would start the season on a struggling note. But they later won 7 out of their next 10 games, putting them in playoff position. Halfway through the season, however, there was a three-way tie for second place which included the Sun, the Dream, and the Mystics. The Sun, plagued by a late-season injury to all-star Asjha Jones missed the playoffs for the first time since moving from Miracle. Sun fans found an unwelcome and unfamiliar ending to the 2009 season. They finished overall with a 16-18 record and finished 6th in the East.

2010–Present: A New Era

After a disheartening 2009 season, the Connecticut Sun and general manager Chris Sienko knew that they had to make some crucial decisions before moving on. On January 12, 2010, in the league's first transaction of the year, the Connecticut Sun sent Lindsay Whalen and the second overall pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft to the Minnesota Lynx. In exchange, the Connecticut Sun received former UConn standout Renee Montgomery, as well as the first overall pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft. The purpose of this trade was to secure their selection of the dominant center, Tina Charles. This move meant that Sandrine Gruda would shift to power forward and Asjha Jones would move to the three. The Connecticut Sun were also in need of an outside scoring presence, since last year's squad shot just 31.6 percent from downtown. As a result, the Connecticut Sun acquired forward Kelsey Griffin, who was taken third overall by the Minnesota Lynx. In return, Minnesota received the Sun's first and second round draft picks for 2011. To conclude their busy draft day, the Connecticut Sun selected Danielle McCray out of Kansas and Allison Hightower from Louisiana State. On February 2, 2010, the Connecticut Sun also announced the signing of Olympian and WNBA All-Star Kara Lawson, which would make the Connecticut Sun one of the league's top frontcourts.

In addition to acquiring Kara Lawson, the Connecticut Sun were able to select DeMya Walker, as the third selection in the Sacramento Monarch dispersal draft. These two experienced players will provide a veteran presence and could serve as mentors to the young Sun team. With the numerous acquisitions during the off-season, the Connecticut Sun hope that their young core of players can compliment their veteran guards. It's been a process for the Sun to get to this point. They've stripped away much of last season's team piece by piece. They did this by acquiring and sending draft picks to add young talent, trading for a popular face in the Connecticut region (Montgomery), and creating a young inside-outside combination. With the start of the 2010 WNBA season fast approaching, many believe that the future looks bright for the Constitution State.

Current home

The Connecticut Sun currently play in the Mohegan Sun Arena. Mohegan Sun, owned by the Mohegan Tribe, is one of the largest, most distinctive and spectacular entertainment, gaming, shopping, hotel and meetings destinations in the United States. The arena is located at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. Compared to other arenas played at by teams in the WNBA, Mohegan Sun Arena is small. The maximum capacity in the entire arena (lower and upper levels) for a basketball game is 9,518.^[26] The Connecticut Sun are the only major professional franchise located in the Hartford market.

The Mohegan Sun Arena is located in the middle of the mall area of the Mohegan Sun Casino. Due to this placement, Connecticut Sun fans take advantage of the restaurants and shops in the casino before and after games. Frequently, Connecticut Sun and opposing players can be found eating in restaurants after games. Opposing teams stay in the hotel at the casino and are often seen walking from the arena to the lobby. All members of the Connecticut Sun organization are considered employees of the casino and as such are unable to partake in any of the games of chance offered there.^[27]

Uniforms

• 2008 – Present: For home games, the Connecticut Sun wore white with the word "Connecticut" printed vertically on the sides and the Sun logo text on the chest. For away games, the Sun wore blue with word "Sun" printed vertically on the sides and the gold "Connecticut" text on the chest. The Sun logo is shown on the shorts.
• 2007: For home games, the Connecticut Sun wore white with images of basic suns on the sides and Sun logo text on the chest. For away games, blue with images of basic suns on the sides and gold Sun logo text on the chest. The Sun logo is on the shorts.
• 2004 – 2006: For home games, the Connecticut Sun wore white with sun red on the sides and red Sun logo text on the chest. For away games, blue with sun red and gold trim on the sides, as well as gold Sun logo text on the chest. The Sun logo is on the shorts.
• 2003: For home games, the Connecticut Sun wore white with sun red on the sides and red Sun logo text on the chest. For away games, pure red with gold trim on the sides and gold Sun logo text on the chest. The Sun logo is on the shorts.
• 1999 – 2002: For home games, the Orlando Miracle wore white with blue on the sides/shoulders and white Miracle logo text on the chest. For away games, blue with white on the sides and white Miracle logo text on the chest. The Miracle logo is on the shorts.

Season-by-season records

^[28]

Players

Current roster

Players	Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Ht. Wt. From 6.0 !C 31 USA ! Charles, Tina 76 !6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 198 lb (90 kg) Connecticut 3.0 !SF 41 USA ! Gardin, Kerri 73 !6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 168 lb (76 kg) Virginia Tech 4.0 !F 5 USA ! Griffin, Kelsey 74 !6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 179 lb (81 kg) Nebraska 6.0 !C 7 FRA ! Gruda, Sandrine 76 !6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) France 1.5 !G 23 USA ! Hightower, Allison 70 !5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 139 lb (63 kg) LSU 2.0 !SG 10 Latvia ! Jēkabsone-Žogota, Anete 69 !5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Latvia 4.5 !PF 15 USA ! Jones, Asjha 74 !6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 196 lb (89 kg) Connecticut 1.5 !G 20 USA ! Lawson, Kara 68 !5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) 169 lb (77 kg) Tennessee 1.5 !G 21 USA ! Montgomery, Renee 67 !5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) 143 lb (65 kg) Connecticut 4.0 !F 22 USA ! Walker, DeMya 75 !6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Virginia 2.0 !SG 14 USA ! White, Tan 67 !5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) 154 lb (70 kg) Mississippi State	Head coach Mike Thibault (St. Martin's) Assistant coach(es) Scott Hawk (Nebraska-Omaha) Bernadette Mattox (Georgia) Strength and conditioning coach(es) Jodi Hopkins (Ohio) Athletic trainer(s) Jeremy Norman (Keene State) Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (IN) Inactive (S) Suspended Injured Roster Last transaction: 2010-05-14

^[29]

Former players

• Debbie Black 2003-2004, now an assistant coach at Ohio State University
• Jamie Carey 2005-2008
• Katie Douglas 2001-2007, now a member of the Indiana Fever
• Margo Dydek 2005-2007
• Shannon Johnson 1999-2003
• Rebecca Lobo 2003, now a sideline reporter for ESPN
• Carla McGhee 1999-2002, now a Director of Player Personnel for the WNBA front office
• Taj McWilliams-Franklin 1999-2006, now a member of the New York Liberty
• Erin Phillips 2006-2009
• Elaine Powell 1999-2002
• Nykesha Sales 1999-2007
• Lindsay Whalen 2004-2009, now a member of the Minnesota Lynx
• Tamika Whitmore 2008-2009
• Le'coe Willingham 2004-2007, now a member of the Seattle Storm
• Brooke Wyckoff 2001-2005

^[30]

Coaches and staff

Head coaches

General managers

• Carolyn Peck (1998–2001)
• Dee Brown (2002)
• Chris Sienko (2003–present)

Assistant coaches

• Rick Stukes (1999–2000)
• Charlene Thomas-Swinson (1999–2001)
• Michael Peck (2001)
• Vonn Read (2002)
• Valerie Still (2002)
• Bernadette Mattox (2003–present)
• Scott Hawk (2003–present)

Media coverage

Currently, selected Connecticut Sun games are broadcast on Comcast Sports Net New England (CSN-NE), which is a local television station for the region of New England. More often than not, NBA TV will pick up the feed from the local broadcast, which are shown nationally. Broadcasters for the Sun games on CSN-NE are Mike Gorman and Rebecca Lobo.^[31] Prior to the 2010 season, the Sun had a deal with WCTX (MyTV9), a station for the state of Connecticut. In addition to Gorman and Lobo, broadcasters included: Bob Heussler, Leah Secondo, and Kara Wolters.

Audio broadcasts for home games are done by Bob Heussler, which broadcast to the WNBA LiveAccess game feeds on the league website.

Some games are also broadcast nationally on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC. The WNBA has reached an eight year agreement with ESPN, which will pay right fees to the Connecticut Sun, as well as other teams in the league. ^[32]

All-time notes

Regular season attendance

• A sellout for a basketball game at TD Waterhouse Centre (Orlando) is 17,248.
• A sellout for a basketball game at Mohegan Sun Arena (Connecticut) is 9,518.

^[33][34]

Franchise leaders

Draft picks

• 1999 Expansion Draft: Andrea Congreaves (2), Kisha Ford (4), Yolanda Moore (6), Adrienne Johnson (8)
• 1999: Tari Phillips (8), Sheri Sam (20), Taj McWilliams-Franklin (32), Carla McGhee (44), Elaine Powell (50)
• 2000: Cintia dos Santos (4), Jannon Roland (20), Shawnetta Stewart (36), Romona Hanzova (52)^[35]
• 2001: Katie Douglas (10), Brooke Wyckoff (26), Jaclyn Johnson (42), Anne Thorius (58)^[36]
• 2002: Davalyn Cunningham (23), Saundra Jackson (39), Tomeka Brown (55)
• 2003 Miami Sol/Portland Fire Dispersal Draft: Debbie Black (6)
• 2003: Courtney Coleman (13), Lindsey Wilson (34)^[37]
• 2004 Cleveland Rockers Dispersal Draft: selection traded
• 2004: Lindsay Whalen (4), Jessica Brungo (16), Ugo Oha (24), Candace Futrell (29)^[38]
• 2005: Katie Feenstra (8), Erin Phillips (21), Megan Mahoney (34)^[39]
• 2006: Debbie Merrill (28), Marita Payne (42)^[40]
• 2007 Charlotte Sting Dispersal Draft: selection waived
• 2007: Kamesha Hairston (12), Sandrine Gruda (13), Cori Chambers (26), Kiera Hardy (39)^[41]
• 2008: Amber Holt (9), Ketia Swanier (12), Jolene Anderson (23), Lauren Ervin (37)^[42]
• 2009 Houston Comets Dispersal Draft: selection waived^[43]
• 2009: Chante Black (10), Lyndra Littles (17), Alba Torrens (26)^[44]
• 2010 Sacramento Monarchs Dispersal Draft: DeMya Walker (3)^[45]
• 2010: Tina Charles (1), Danielle McCray (7), Allison Hightower (15), Johannah Leedham (27)

Trades

• April 18, 2002: The Orlando Miracle acquire Clarisse Machanguana from the Charlotte Sting for the Miracle's first-round pick in the 2002 WNBA Draft.^[46]
• July 8, 2002: The Miracle acquire Wendy Palmer from the Detroit Shock for Elaine Powell.^[47]
• February 14, 2003: The Sun acquire the UConn Husky standout Rebecca Lobo from the Houston Comets for the Sun's second round pick in the 2003 WNBA Draft.^[6]
• January 6, 2004: The Sun trade four-time WNBA All Star point guard Shannon Johnson along with their second and third-round picks in the 2004 WNBA Draft to the San Antonio Silver Stars. In exchange, the Connecticut Sun receive the Silver Stars' first, second, and third-round picks. The Sun used the 4th pick to select Lindsay Whalen.^[9]
• March 25, 2004: The Sun acquire WNBA All-Star Asjha Jones from the Washington Mystics for the eighth pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft in a three-way trade that also involves the Phoenix Mercury.^[48]
• April 16, 2005: The Sun acquire Margo Dydek from the San Antonio Silver Stars in exchange for Katie Feenstra and the Sun's first-round pick in the 2006 WNBA Draft.^[12]
• February 21, 2007: The Sun trade five-time All Star Taj McWilliams-Franklin to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for Erika DeSouza and the Sparks' first-round pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft.^[49]
• February 19, 2008: The Sun trade Katie Douglas to the Indiana Fever for Tamika Whitmore, the rights to guard Jessica Foley and the Fever's first-round pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft.^[20]
• March 6, 2008: The Sun trade Megan Mahoney to the Houston Comets for Barbara Turner.^[50]
• March 14, 2008: The Sun trade Kristen Rasmussen to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Tamika Raymond, as well as the option to trade second-round picks in the 2009 WNBA Draft.^[51]
• January 12, 2010: The Sun trade Lindsay Whalen and the second overall pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Renee Montgomery and the first overall pick in the 2010 Draft. ^[52]
• April 7, 2010: The Sun trade Amber Holt and Chante Black to the Tulsa Shock in exchange for the seventh pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft and a second-round pick in the 2011 WNBA Draft.^[53]
• April 8, 2010: The Sun trade first and second-round picks in the 2011 WNBA Draft to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for the draft rights to Kelsey Griffin.

All-Stars

• 1999: Shannon Johnson, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Nykesha Sales^[54]
• 2000: Shannon Johnson, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Nykesha Sales^[55]
• 2001: Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Nykesha Sales^[56]
• 2002: Shannon Johnson, Nykesha Sales^[57]
• 2003: Shannon Johnson, Nykesha Sales^[58]
• 2004: Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Nykesha Sales, Lindsay Whalen^[59]
• 2005: Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Nykesha Sales^[60]
• 2006: Katie Douglas, Margo Dydek, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Nykesha Sales, Lindsay Whalen^[61]
• 2007: Katie Douglas, Asjha Jones^[62]
• 2008: No All-Star Game
• 2009: Asjha Jones^[63]
• 2010: Tina Charles, Renee Montgomery^[64]

Honors and awards

• 2004 Most Improved Player: Wendy Palmer-Daniel^[65]
• 2005 All-Defensive First Team Member: Katie Douglas^[66]
• 2006 All-Star Game MVP: Katie Douglas^[67]
• 2006 Coach of the Year: Mike Thibault^[68]
• 2006 All-Defensive First Team Member: Katie Douglas^[69]
• 2007 All-Defensive First Team Member: Katie Douglas^[70]
• 2008 Coach of the Year: Mike Thibault^[71]
• 2008 Peak Performer (Assists): Lindsay Whalen^[72]
• 2008 All-WNBA First Team Member: Lindsay Whalen^[73]
• 2008 All-WNBA Second Team Member: Asjha Jones^[73]
• 2008 All-Rookie Team Member: Amber Holt^[74]

References

External links

• Connecticut Sun Official Website
• Official CT Announcement Transcript

Sports teams based in Connecticut Baseball EL: New Britain Rock Cats – NYPL: Connecticut Tigers – ALPB: Bridgeport Bluefish – NECBL: Danbury Westerners • Mystic (2011) Basketball WNBA: Connecticut Sun Football UFL: Hartford Colonials – WFA: New England Nightmare • Northeastern Nitro – IWFL: Connecticut Crushers Ice hockey AHL: Bridgeport Sound Tigers • Connecticut Whale – FHL: Danbury Whalers Inline hockey PIHA: Connecticut Blaze Soccer W-League: Connecticut Passion – WPSL: SoccerPlus Connecticut Rugby league AMNRL: Connecticut Wildcats • New Haven Warriors Rugby union NERFU: Connecticut Yankees RFC • New Haven Old Black RFC Softball ASA: Connecticut Brakettes College athletics (NCAA Div. I) Central Connecticut State Blue Devils • Connecticut Huskies • Fairfield Stags • Hartford Hawks • Quinnipiac Bobcats • Sacred Heart Pioneers • Yale Bulldogs