Connecticut Sun
Encyclopedia : C : CO : CON : Connecticut Sun
| Connecticut Sun | |
 | |
| Conference | Eastern Conference |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Home court | Mohegan Sun Arena |
| Colors | Blue, Yellow, Red |
| WNBA Championships | 0 |
| Conference Championships | 2 (2004. 2005) |
| Playoff Appearances | 4 (2000, 2003–2005) |
| Head coach | Mike Thibault |
| General manager | Chris Sienko |
| Owner | Mohegan Sun |
| Mascot | Blaze [link] |
The Connecticut Sun are a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Uncasville, Connecticut. They began to play in the 2003 WNBA season. The Sun was the first WNBA franchise to be owned by a party other than an NBA team 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.
Uniforms:
- 2003 - Present: For home games, white with sun red on the sides and red Sun logo text on the chest. For away games, blue with sun red with yellow trim on the sides and yellow Sun logo text on the chest. The Sun logo is on the shorts.
- 1999 - 2002: For home games, white with blue on the sides and 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.
Franchise history
Before the renamed Sun begun the first season of play, the team acquired former University of Connecticut star Rebecca Lobo. The Sun lost their first game, 79 to 72, to the Houston Comets. However, the 2003 season would also see the Sun win their first playoff series with a victory over the Charlotte Sting.
In 2004 they drafted Minnesota Golden Gophers star Lindsay Whalen amidst rumors they would trade her to the Minnesota Lynx. However, she remained on the team through the season and would lead the Sun to the WNBA Finals in their second season of existence, where they lost a three game series 2-1 to the Seattle Storm.
In 2005, the Sun acquired center Margo Dydek. The 2005 season proved to be a successful one for the Sun. They finished the season with a 26-8 win-loss record, the best regular season record for an Eastern conference team in WNBA history. [link] They made their second straight WNBA Finals appearance. Despite securing home court advantage, Lindsay Whalen played through the series with injuries and the team lost the Finals for a second straight year, this time to the Sacramento Monarchs.
Since moving to Connecticut, the team has been a success both on and off the court. The team's attendance has risen each year since its arrival in Connecticut and in 2005 the Sun hosted the 2005 WNBA All-Star game.
Season-by-Season Records
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, % = Win-Loss % {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- bgcolor="#efefef" ! Season !! W !! L !! % !! Playoffs !! Results |- |Orlando Miracle |- |1999 || 15 || 17 || .469 |- |2000 || 16 || 16 || .500 || Lost First Round || Cleveland 2, Orlando 1 |- |2001 || 13 || 19 || .406 |- |2002 || 16 || 16 || .500 |- |Connecticut Sun |- |2003 || 18 || 16 || .529 || Won First RoundLost Conference Finals || Connecticut 2, Charlotte 0
Detroit 2, Connecticut 0 |- |2004 || 18 || 16 || .529 || Won First Round
Won Conference Finals
Lost WNBA Finals || Connecticut 2, Washington 1
Connecticut 2, New York 0
Seattle 2, Connecticut 1 |- |2005 || 26 || 8 || .765 || Won First Round
Won Conference Finals
Lost WNBA Finals || Connecticut 2, Detroit 0
Connecticut 2, Indiana 0
Sacramento 3, Connecticut 1 |- |2006 || 15 || 6 || .714 |- |Totals || 137 || 114 || .546 |- |Playoffs || 13 || 10 || .565
Stats updated July 17, 2006
Players of note
Hall of Famers
noneRetired numbers
noneNot to be forgotten
- Debbie Black, assistant coach at Ohio State University
- Rebecca Lobo
Current Roster
| Connecticut Sun Current Roster
| ||||
| Head Coach: Mike Thibault | [Edit]
| |||
| Pos. | No. | Name | College
| |
| F | 21 | Ambrosia Anderson (IL) | BYU
| |
| G | 10 | Jamie Carey | Texas
| |
| G-F | 32 | Katie Douglas | Purdue
| |
| C | 12 | Margo Dydek | Poland
| |
| F-C | 15 | Asjha Jones | Connecticut
| |
| F | 24 | Megan Mahoney | Kansas State
| |
| F-C | 11 | Taj McWilliams-Franklin | St. Edwards
| |
| G | 31 | Erin Phillips | Australia
| |
| F-G | 42 | Nykesha Sales | Connecticut
| |
| C | 14 | Laura Summerton | Australia
| |
| G | 13 | Lindsay Whalen | Minnesota
| |
| F | 43 | Le'coe Willingham | Auburn
| |
| (IL) - Inactive List
| ||||
Coaches and others
Head Coaches:- Carolyn Peck (1998-2002), now coaches the women's team at University of Florida
- Dee Brown (2002)
- Mike Thibault (2002-Present)
Front Office Personnel
- Owner: The Mohegan Tribe
- Chief Executive Officer/Governor: Mitchell Etess
- Chief Operating Officer/Alternate Governor: Jeffrey Hartmann
- President/Alternate Governor: Paul Munick
- Secretary: Robert Soper
- General Manager: Christopher Sienko
- Senior Attorney: Karen Molito
- Head Coach: Michael Thibault
- Assistant Coach: Scott Hawk
- Assistant Coach: Bernadette Mattox
- Head Athletic Trainer: Georgia Fischer
- Strength and Conditioning Coach: Lisa Ciaravella
- Director of Marketing: Stacey Dengler
- Director of Business Operations: Dave Martinelli
- Consumer Sales Manager: Todd McDonald
- Media Relations Manager: Bill Tavares
btavares@connecticutsun.com
semmett@connecticutsun.com
Trivia
- In 2006 the Connecticut Sun named all 5 starters to the WNBA Eastern conference allstar team. Douglas, Dydek, McWilliams-Franklin, Sales, Whalen. This feat has never been achieved in NBA history.
External links
| Women's National Basketball Association | |
| Eastern Conference | |
|---|---|
| Charlotte Sting | Chicago Sky | Connecticut Sun | Detroit Shock | |
| Indiana Fever | New York Liberty | Washington Mystics | |
| Western Conference | |
| Houston Comets | Los Angeles Sparks | Minnesota Lynx | Phoenix Mercury | |
| Sacramento Monarchs | San Antonio Silver Stars | Seattle Storm |
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