Connecticut Sun

Connecticut Sun
2011 Connecticut Sun season
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 coaches	Scott Hawk Bernadette Mattox
Championships	None
Conference titles	2 (2004, 2005)
Mascot	Blaze
Official website	wnba.com/sun

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 in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season. The Sun was the first WNBA franchise not to be owned by an NBA owner; the team is owned by the Mohegan Indian tribe. 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 has qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in six of its eight years in Connecticut. Notable players include the 7 foot 2 inch, the late Margo Dydek (died in 2011), Indiana native Katie Douglas, University of Connecticut standouts Asjha Jones and Nykesha Sales, 2010 Rookie of the Year Tina Charles 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

The Orlando Miracle (1999–2002)

Main article: Orlando Miracle

Before the franchise relocated to Connecticut in 2003, the team was known as the Orlando Miracle. The Orlando 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, losing in the first round against the Cleveland Rockers. After the 2002 WNBA season, the NBA sold off all of the WNBA franchises to the operators of the teams, which placed the WNBA league in the middle of team contractions, relocations, and potential labor strife. As a result, the Orlando Magic ownership was no longer interested in keeping the Miracle. Since no local ownership was reached, 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).^[4] It is also worth noting that the Connecticut Sun's nickname, color scheme and logo are extremely reminiscent of another defunct Florida-based franchise, the Miami Sol, which folded at the same time as the Orlando Miracle.

The Connecticut Sun (2003–present)

Rebuilding in Connecticut (2003)

With a new home in Uncasville and two former UConn Huskies on the roster, the Connecticut Sun entered the 2003 WNBA season looking to build upon a 2002 campaign in which they missed the playoffs due to a tiebreaker with the Indiana Fever. The Connecticut Sun underwent a total overhaul during the offseason – acquiring former University of Connecticut standout Rebecca Lobo from the Houston Comets and selecting 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.^[5]

Despite making essential acquisitions and creating depth in their 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. The Connecticut Sun yielded to the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Sparks, 82–73, before a sellout crowd of 9,341. However, the Connecticut Sun won their following road game by defeating the highly acclaimed Houston Comets, with the final score of 91–83. Remarkably, the Connecticut Sun achieved their first victory at home by once again defeating the Houston Comets, 65–58, at Mohegan Sun Arena. At the conclusion of the 2003 WNBA season, the Connecticut Sun surprised spectators by finishing with an 18–16 record, thus clinching the first playoff berth in their history. In the opening round, the Connecticut Sun won their first playoff series by sweeping the second-seeded Charlotte Sting. In the Eastern Conference Finals, however, the Connecticut Sun faced the Detroit Shock. The Shock were victorious in all four games against the Connecticut Sun in the regular season. Nonetheless, the Connecticut Sun finally succumbed to the eventual WNBA champion Detroit Shock in two hard-fought, enduring games.^[6][7] The 2003 Eastern Conference Finals would be the first of numerous postseason encounters that the Connecticut Sun had with the Detroit Shock, before relocating to Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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

The Rising Horizon (2004–2005)

Head coach Mike Thibault surprised many by trading all-star point guard Shannon Johnson for the 4th pick in the WNBA Draft.^[8] With that pick the Sun selected Minnesota Golden Gophers star Lindsay Whalen amidst rumors they would trade her to the Minnesota Lynx.^[9] However, she remained on the team as the Sun posted an 18–16^[10] 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.^[11] With a dominant post presence, the hungry Sun controlled the Eastern Conference, posting a 26–8 record,^[12] the best regular season record for an Eastern Conference team in WNBA history.^[13] 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]

Mohegan Sun Arena filling up before a game.

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.^[14]

A Disappointing End and a New Battle (2006–2007)

In 2006, the Sun would match their 2005 record^[15] 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.^[16]

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,^[17] 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.^[18]

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

In Search for Prestige (2008–2009)

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.^[19] Following that monumental trade, Nykesha Sales announced she would sit out the 2008 season due to multiple nagging injuries.^[20] 7'2" center Margo Dydek also took the season off due to her pregnancy.^[21] 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.^[22] 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.^[23]

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, with the Detroit Shock having 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.

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).^[24] 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 Orlando. 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.

A New Era (2010–present)

A Sun game in 2011

After a disheartening 2009 season, the 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 Sun sent Lindsay Whalen and the second overall pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft to the Minnesota Lynx. In exchange, the Sun received former University of Connecticut 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. Furthermore, the Sun were in need of an outside scoring presence, since last year's squad shot just 31.6 percent from downtown. As a result, the Sun acquired forward Kelsey Griffin, who was taken third overall in the 2010 WNBA Draft by the Minnesota Lynx. In return, Minnesota received the Sun's first and second round draft picks for the 2011 WNBA Draft. To conclude their busy draft day, the Sun selected Danielle McCray out of Kansas and Allison Hightower from Louisiana State. On February 2, 2010, the Sun also announced the signing of Olympian and WNBA All-Star Kara Lawson.

In addition to acquiring Kara Lawson, the Sun were able to select DeMya Walker as the third overall selection in the Sacramento Monarchs dispersal draft. These two experienced players provided a veteran presence and served as mentors to the young Sun team. With the numerous acquisitions during the off-season, the Sun hoped that their young core of players could complement their veteran guards.

After the 2010 WNBA season, news surfaced that the Connecticut Sun were the first franchise in WNBA history to turn a profit. ^[25]

The 2011 season started well for the Sun. Few changes were made in the offseason, which gave the team some consistency and a year of experience on which to build. Sandrine Gruda and Anete Jekabsone-Zogota decided to sit out the season, so the Sun looked elsewhere, adding Jessica Moore and relying on rookie Danielle McCray to step up and score. In a tough Eastern Conference, the Sun held a 9–5 record going into the All-Star break.

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 entertainment, gaming, shopping and hotel destinations in the United States.^[26] 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 considerably small. The maximum capacity in the entire arena (lower and upper levels) for a basketball game is 9,518.^[27] The Connecticut Sun are the only major professional franchise located in the Hartford market.

The Mohegan Sun Arena is located in the center of the mall area of the Mohegan Sun Casino. Due to this placement, Connecticut Sun fans take advantage of the restaurants, shops and other destinations 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.^[28]

Uniforms

• 1999–2002: For home games, the 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.
• 2003: For home games, the 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.
• 2004–2006: For home games, the 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.
• 2007: For home games, the 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.
• 2008–2010: For home games, the 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.
• 2011–present: For home games, the Sun wore white with blue vertical stripes on the sides and the Sun logo text on the chest. For away games, the Sun wore blue with white vertical stripes on the sides and gold "Connecticut" text on the chest. The Sun logo is shown on the left shoulder.

Season-by-season records

^[29]

Players

Current roster

Connecticut Sun rosterv · d · e
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Height Weight DOB From Yrs 4.0 !F 51 USA ! Breland, Jessica 75 !6' 3" (1.91m) 165 lb (75kg) 02-23-1988 North Carolina 0.5 !R 6.0 !C 31 USA ! Charles, Tina 76 !6' 4" (1.93m) 198 lb (90kg) 12-05-1988 Connecticut 1 !1 1.5 !G 32 USA ! Greene, Kalana 70 !5' 10" (1.78m) 170 lb (77kg) 07-13-1987 Connecticut 1 !1 4.0 !F 5 USA ! Griffin, Kelsey 74 !6' 2" (1.88m) 179 lb (81kg) 07-02-1987 Nebraska 1 !1 1.5 !G 23 USA ! Hightower, Allison 70 !5' 10" (1.78m) 139 lb (63kg) 04-06-1988 LSU 1 !1 4.0 !F 15 USA ! Jones, Asjha 75 !6' 3" (1.91m) 196 lb (89kg) 08-01-1980 Connecticut 5 !9 1.5 !G 20 USA ! Lawson, Kara 69 !5' 9" (1.75m) 169 lb (77kg) 02-14-1981 Tennessee 4.5 !8 2.5 !G/F 4 USA ! McCray, Danielle 71 !5' 11" (1.8m) 174 lb (79kg) 10-08-1987 Kansas 0.5 !R 1.5 !G 21 USA ! Montgomery, Renee 67 !5' 7" (1.7m) 143 lb (65kg) 12-02-1986 Connecticut 1.5 !2 5.5 !F/C 30 USA ! Moore, Jessica 75 !6' 3" (1.91m) 175 lb (79kg) 07-09-1982 Connecticut 3.5 !6 2.5 !G/F 14 USA ! White, Tan 67 !5' 7" (1.7m) 154 lb (70kg) 09-27-1982 Mississippi State 3.5 !6 East: ATL • CHI • CON • IND • NY • WAS | West: LA • MIN • PHO • SA • SEA • TUL	Head coach Mike Thibault (St. Martin's) Assistant coaches Scott Hawk (Nebraska-Omaha) Bernadette Mattox (Georgia) Athletic trainer Jeremy Norman (Keene State) Strength and conditioning coach Jodi Hopkins (Ohio) Legend (C) Team captain (FA) Free agent (IN) Inactive (S) Suspended Injured WNBA roster page Transactions

^[30]

Former players

Main article: Connecticut Sun all-time roster

• 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)
• Kerri Gardin (2008–2010)
• 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 Minnesota Lynx
• Elaine Powell (1999–2002)
• Erin Phillips (2006–2009), now a member of the Indiana Fever
• Nykesha Sales (1999–2007)
• DeMya Walker (2010–2011), now a member of the Washington Mystics
• 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)

^[31]

Coaches and staff

Owners

• RDV Sports, Inc., owner of the Orlando Magic (1998–2002)
• Mohegan Sun (2003–present)

Head coaches

Connecticut Sun head coaches
Name Start End Seasons Regular season Playoffs W L PCT G W L PCT G Carolyn Peck July 6, 1998 April 3, 2002 4 44 52 .458 96 1 2 .333 3 Dee Brown April 5, 2002 End of 2002 1 16 16 .500 32 0 0 .000 0 Mike Thibault March 7, 2003 Current 9 181 125 .592 306 17 16 .515 33

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)

Statistics

Connecticut Sun statistics
1990s Season Individual Team vs Opponents PPG RPG APG PPG RPG FG% 1999 S. Johnson (14.0) T. McWilliams (7.5) S. Johnson (4.4) 68.9 vs 69.3 30.2 vs 31.4 .424 vs .429
2000s Season Individual Team vs Opponents PPG RPG APG PPG RPG FG% 2000 T. McWilliams (13.7) T. McWilliams (7.6) S. Johnson (5.3) 69.0 vs 69.8 28.9 vs 31.8 .436 vs .433 2001 N. Sales (13.5) T. McWilliams (7.6) E. Powell (3.1) 66.9 vs 68.9 30.3 vs 30.5 .401 vs .440 2002 S. Johnson (16.1) W. Palmer (5.8) S. Johnson (5.3) 70.4 vs 70.5 28.6 vs 32.7 .422 vs .432 2003 N. Sales (16.1) T. McWilliams (6.7) S. Johnson (5.8) 70.1 vs 70.9 32.2 vs 34.6 .411 vs .411 2004 N. Sales (15.2) T. McWilliams (7.2) L. Whalen (4.8) 68.7 vs 67.8 30.7 vs 31.3 .427 vs .430 2005 N. Sales (15.6) T. McWilliams (7.3) L. Whalen (5.1) 72.8 vs 66.0 32.6 vs 31.7 .452 vs .398 2006 K. Douglas (16.4) T. McWilliams (9.6) L. Whalen (4.6) 78.9 vs 71.1 37.3 vs 33.9 .443 vs .402 2007 K. Douglas (17.0) M. Dydek (6.5) L. Whalen (5.0) 78.7 vs 76.3 35.9 vs 34.7 .430 vs .421 2008 A. Jones (17.0) A. Jones (6.1) L. Whalen (5.4) 79.1 vs 74.7 36.4 vs 35.3 .422 vs .418 2009 A. Jones (16.7) S. Gruda (6.3) L. Whalen (4.6) 78.0 vs 78.1 34.8 vs 37.5 .406 vs .426
2010s Season Individual Team vs Opponents PPG RPG APG PPG RPG FG% 2010 T. Charles (15.5) T. Charles (11.7) R. Montgomery (4.1) 81.0 vs 79.9 36.5 vs 35.6 .427 vs .433 2011 T. Charles (17.6) T. Charles (11.0) R. Montgomery (4.9) 80.1 vs 76.8 35.6 vs 36.5 .424 vs .429

Media coverage

For up-to-date media coverage information, see 2011 Connecticut Sun season.

Currently, some 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 Meghan Culmo, Brian Scalabrine or Rebecca Lobo.^[32] Prior to the 2010 season, the Sun had a deal with WCTX (MyTV9), a station for the state of Connecticut. In addition to Mike Gorman and Rebecca Lobo, broadcasters in the past have included: Bob Heussler, Leah Secondo and Kara Wolters.

Audio broadcasts for all home games are done by Bob Heussler, which (excluding blackout games, which are available on ESPN3.com) are streamed to the WNBA LiveAccess game feeds on the league website. Furthermore, some Sun games are broadcast nationally on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. The WNBA has reached an eight year agreement with ESPN, which will pay right fees to the Sun, as well as other teams in the league.^[33]

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, thru 2010) is 9,518.
• A sellout for a basketball game at Mohegan Sun Arena (Connecticut, 2011–) is 9,323.

Regular season all-time attendance

Orlando Miracle Year Average High Low Sellouts Total for year WNBA game average 1999 9,801 (6th) 15,442 7,028 0 156,818 10,207 2000 7,363 (11th) 9,464 5,731 0 117,810 9,074 2001 7,430 (11th) 11,903 5,363 0 118,874 9,105 2002 7,115 (13th) 13,111 4,323 0 113,837 9,228 Connecticut Sun Year Average High Low Sellouts Total for year WNBA game average 2003 6,025 (14th) 9,518 4,038 2 102,433 8,826 2004 6,635 (13th) 9,518 3,846 2 112,803 8,589 2005 7,156 (10th) 9,518 5,596 2 121,644 8,172 2006 7,417 (9th) 9,518 6,019 2 126,096 7,476 2007 7,970 (7th) 9,518 6,154 1 135,490 7,819 2008 7,644 (11th) 9,518 5,245 3 129,951 7,948 2009 6,794 (12th) 9,047 5,675 0 115,496 8,029 2010 7,486 (9th) 9,518 6,292 1 127,331 7,834 2011 7,056 (9th) 9,323 6,096 1 119,951 7,954

^[34][35]

Franchise leaders

Games played: Nykesha Sales (278) Consecutive games played: Nykesha Sales (248, 6/10/99-7/6/06) Minutes: Nykesha Sales (8,762) Minutes per game: Shannon Johnson (34.0) Points: Nykesha Sales (3,955) Points per game: Katie Douglas (17.0) Consecutive games scoring: Taj McWilliams Franklin (243, 6/10/99-8/13/06) Field goal % (minimum 100): Margo Dydek (462–1,032, .503) Three point % (minimum 50): Jamie Carey (84–207, .406) Free throw % (minimum 100): Lindsay Whalen (576–717, .803)

Rebounds: Taj McWilliams-Franklin (1,814) Rebounds per game: Tina Charles (11.3) Assists: Lindsay Whalen (808) Assists per game: Lindsay Whalen (5.0) Steals: Nykesha Sales (490) Steals per game: Nykesha Sales (1.76) Blocks: Taj McWilliams-Franklin (267) Blocks per game: Margo Dydek (2.26) Personal fouls: Nykesha Sales (798) Turnovers: Nykesha Sales (578)

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)^{[citation needed]}
• 2000: Cintia dos Santos (4), Jannon Roland (20), Shawnetta Stewart (36), Romona Hanzova (52)^[36]
• 2001: Katie Douglas (10), Brooke Wyckoff (26), Jaclyn Johnson (42), Anne Thorius (58)^[37]
• 2002: Davalyn Cunningham (23), Saundra Jackson (39), Tomeka Brown (55)^{[citation needed]}
• 2003 Miami/Portland Dispersal Draft: Debbie Black (6)
• 2003: Courtney Coleman (13), Lindsey Wilson (34)^[38]
• 2004 Cleveland Dispersal Draft: selection traded
• 2004: Lindsay Whalen (4), Jessica Brungo (16), Ugo Oha (24), Candace Futrell (29)^[39]
• 2005: Katie Feenstra (8), Erin Phillips (21), Megan Mahoney (34)^[40]
• 2006: Debbie Merrill (28), Marita Payne (42)^[41]
• 2007 Charlotte Dispersal Draft: selection waived
• 2007: Kamesha Hairston (12), Sandrine Gruda (13), Cori Chambers (26), Kiera Hardy (39)^[42]
• 2008: Amber Holt (9), Ketia Swanier (12), Jolene Anderson (23), Lauren Ervin (37)^[43]
• 2009 Houston Dispersal Draft: selection waived^[44]
• 2009: Chante Black (10), Lyndra Littles (17), Alba Torrens (36)^[45]
• 2010 Sacramento Dispersal Draft: DeMya Walker (3)^[46]
• 2010: Tina Charles (1), Danielle McCray (7), Allison Hightower (15), Johannah Leedham (27)
• 2011: Sydney Colson (16), Adrienne Johnson (28)

Trades

• April 18, 2002: The Miracle acquired Clarisse Machanguana from the Charlotte Sting in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2002 Draft.^[47]
• July 8, 2002: The Miracle acquired Wendy Palmer from the Detroit Shock in exchange for Elaine Powell.^[48]
• February 14, 2003: The Sun acquired the Rebecca Lobo from the Houston Comets for a second round pick in the 2003 Draft.^[5]
• January 6, 2004: The Sun acquired the fourth, 16th, and 29th picks in the 2004 Draft from the San Antonio Silver Stars in exchange for Shannon Johnson, the 21st and the 34th picks in the 2004 Draft.^[8]
• March 25, 2004: The Sun acquired Asjha Jones from the Washington Mystics in exchange for the eighth pick in the 2004 Draft in a three-way trade that also involved the Phoenix Mercury.^[49]
• April 16, 2005: The Sun acquired Margo Dydek from the San Antonio Silver Stars in exchange for Katie Feenstra and a first-round pick in the 2006 Draft.^[11]
• February 21, 2007: The Sun traded Taj McWilliams-Franklin to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for Erika DeSouza and a first-round pick in the 2007 Draft.^[50]
• February 19, 2008: The Sun traded Katie Douglas to the Indiana Fever in exchange for Tamika Whitmore, the rights to Jessica Foley and a first-round pick in the 2008 Draft.^[19]
• March 6, 2008: The Sun traded Megan Mahoney to the Houston Comets in exchange for Barbara Turner.^[51]
• March 14, 2008: The Sun traded Kristen Rasmussen to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Tamika Raymond, as well as the option to trade second-round picks in the 2009 Draft.^[52]
• January 12, 2010: The Sun traded Lindsay Whalen and the second pick in the 2010 Draft to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Renee Montgomery and the first pick in the 2010 Draft.^[53]
• April 7, 2010: The Sun traded Amber Holt and Chante Black to the Tulsa Shock in exchange for the seventh pick in the 2010 Draft and a second-round pick in the 2011 Draft.^[54]
• April 8, 2010: The Sun traded first and second-round picks in the 2011 Draft to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for the draft rights to Kelsey Griffin.
• April 11, 2011: The Sun traded a third-round pick in the 2012 Draft to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for the draft rights to Tahnee Robinson.
• April 11, 2011: The Sun traded the draft rights to Sydney Colson to the New York Liberty in exchange for Kalana Greene.

All-Stars

• 1999: Shannon Johnson, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Nykesha Sales^[55]
• 2000: Shannon Johnson, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Nykesha Sales^[56]
• 2001: Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Nykesha Sales^[57]
• 2002: Shannon Johnson, Nykesha Sales^[58]
• 2003: Shannon Johnson, Nykesha Sales^[59]
• 2004: Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Nykesha Sales, Lindsay Whalen^[60]
• 2005: Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Nykesha Sales^[61]
• 2006: Katie Douglas, Margo Dydek, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Nykesha Sales, Lindsay Whalen^[62]
• 2007: Katie Douglas, Asjha Jones^[63]
• 2008: No All-Star Game
• 2009: Asjha Jones^[64]
• 2010: Tina Charles, Renee Montgomery^[65]
• 2011: Tina Charles, Renee Montgomery^[66]

Honors and awards

• 1999 All-WNBA Second Team: Shannon Johnson
• 2000 All-WNBA Second Team: Shannon Johnson
• 2002 All-WNBA Second Team: Shannon Johnson
• 2004 Most Improved Player: Wendy Palmer-Daniel^[67]
• 2005 All-Defensive First Team: Katie Douglas^[68]
• 2006 All-Star Game MVP: Katie Douglas^[69]
• 2006 Coach of the Year: Mike Thibault^[70]
• 2006 All-Defensive First Team: Katie Douglas^[71]
• 2007 All-Defensive First Team: Katie Douglas^[72]
• 2008 Coach of the Year: Mike Thibault^[73]
• 2008 Peak Performer (Assists): Lindsay Whalen^[74]
• 2008 All-WNBA First Team: Lindsay Whalen^[75]
• 2008 All-WNBA Second Team: Asjha Jones^[75]
• 2008 All-Rookie Team: Amber Holt^[76]
• 2010 Rookie of the Year: Tina Charles^[77]
• 2010 All-WNBA Second Team: Tina Charles^[75]
• 2010 Peak Performer (Rebounds): Tina Charles^[78]
• 2010 All-Rookie Team: Tina Charles^[76]
• 2010 All-Rookie Team: Kelsey Griffin^[76]
• 2011 All-WNBA First Team: Tina Charles
• 2011 Peak Performer (Rebounds): Tina Charles^[79]
• 2011 All-Defensive Second Team: Tina Charles

References

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External links

• Connecticut Sun Official Website
• Official CT Announcement Transcript

Sporting positions
Preceded by Detroit Shock	WNBA Eastern Conference Champions 2004 (First title) 2005 (Second title)	Succeeded by Detroit Shock