Connecticut Sun

Orlando Miracle (1999–2002)

Before the franchise relocated to Connecticut in 2003, the team operated as the Orlando Miracle. The Miracle played their home games at TD Waterhouse Centre in Orlando, Florida, as the sister team of the Orlando Magic. The 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 to the Cleveland Rockers. After the 2002 season, the NBA sold off all of the WNBA franchises to the operators of the respective teams, which placed the league in the middle of team contractions, relocations, and potential labor strife. Since Magic ownership was no longer interested in retaining the rights to the Miracle and no local partnership was reached, the organization ceased operations and was purchased by the Mohegan Tribe. On January 28, 2003, it was announced that the Miracle would immediately move to Uncasville, Connecticut and change its nickname to the Sun (in reference to the Mohegan Sun casino). The Sun's nickname, color scheme and logo are similar to that of another defunct Florida-based franchise, the Miami Sol, which folded at the same time as the Miracle's relocation to Connecticut.

Ascendancy to prominence (2003–2004)

With a new home in Uncasville and two former UConn Huskies on the roster, the Sun entered the 2003 season looking to build upon a 2002 campaign in which they missed the playoffs due to a tiebreaker with Indiana. The Sun underwent a total overhaul during the offseason – selecting Debbie Black in the Miami Sol/Portland Fire dispersal draft and acquiring former Connecticut star Rebecca Lobo to add another local attraction to join Nykesha Sales. 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.

Despite making essential acquisitions and creating depth in the roster, the Sun was projected to finish towards the end of the Eastern Conference standings. On May 24, 2003, the Sun hosted the first regular-season game of its inaugural season, which was shown on ABC, the league's new broadcast partner. The Sun yielded to the two-time defending champion Sparks before a sellout crowd of 9,341. At the conclusion of the 2003 season, the Sun surprised spectators by finishing with an 18–16 record, clinching the first playoff berth since the franchise relocated. The Sun swept the second-seeded Sting in the first round of the playoffs, and was slated to face Detroit in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Shock was victorious in all four games against the Sun in the regular season, which would be indicative of the outcome. The Sun would succumb to the eventual league champion Detroit in two enduring games. The 2003 playoffs would be the first of numerous postseason encounters that Connecticut and Detroit would share prior to the Shock's relocation to Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The Shock's sweep of the arduous series did nothing to diminish what the Sun accomplished in its first season in Connecticut. Among other accomplishments in the 2003 season, both Nykesha Sales and Shannon Johnson achieved milestones by reaching the 2,000-point plateau in their careers. As the season progressed, Mohegan Sun Arena would prove to be a basketball hotbed as the Sun averaged 7,297 in attendance following the All Star break.

Despite registering the most successful season in its franchise, the Sun's roster was turned upside down in the offseason, but that didn't mean the team was bereft of talent. The 2003 season would ultimately be the last for Lobo's storied career as she announced her retirement after seven seasons in the WNBA. The Sun returned Katie Douglas, Nykesha Sales and Taj McWilliams-Franklin, the group that formed Thibault's nucleus. General manager Chris Sienko fortified that core with former UConn product Asjha Jones, who was acquired in a three-team trade, and Minnesota Golden Gophers phenom Lindsay Whalen, who was taken with the fourth overall pick in the 2004 Draft. The Sun managed to snag a top pick in one of the deepest draft classes in league history by trading perennial all-star point guard Shannon Johnson, a move that was universally panned by Sun fans. The Sun selected Lindsay Whalen amidst rumors they would trade her to the Minnesota Lynx. However, she remained on the team as the Sun posted an 18–16 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.

Dynastic turmoil (2005–2007)

In the 2005 off season, the Sun acquired 7'2" (2.18 m) center Margo Dydek. With a dominant post presence, the hungry Sun controlled the Eastern Conference, posting a 26–8 record, the best regular season record for an Eastern Conference team in WNBA history. 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.

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.

In 2006, the Sun would match their 2005 record 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.

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, 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.

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

Brief decline (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, a deal that signaled the end of the partnership that led the Sun to consecutive WNBA Finals appearances. 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. Following that monumental trade, Nykesha Sales announced she would sit out the 2008 season due to multiple nagging injuries. 7'2" center Margo Dydek also took the season off due to her pregnancy. 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. 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.

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). 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. After the team was ousted from playoff contention, Thibault said there would be changes.

Charles triggers resurgence (2010–2012)

After a late-season implosion in 2009, head coach Mike Thibault had to make some crucial decisions for a team whose culture completely broke down last year. Connecticut started its rebuilding process quickly, acquiring DeMya Walker in the Monarchs' dispersal draft. The Sun then snagged the first overall pick in the 2010 collegiate draft in a trade with the Minnesota Lynx; a trade that would have the Sun's most recognizable face in starting point guard Lindsay Whalen, along with the second overall pick, shipped to Minneapolis. This package netted the Sun Montgomery, who would prove to be luxury in the deal. Thibault continued to reshape his roster after introducing Kara Lawson at a press conference as a new member of the Sun. Lawson was formerly a member of the Monarchs' team that decimated the Sun's chances of a WNBA title. Lawson, along with Montgomery, formed a backcourt that would be able to dictate pace and bolster the Sun's perimeter arsenal attack. The Sun also signed reserves Anete Jēkabsone-Žogota and Tan White to multiyear contracts to solidify the Sun's revamped backcourt.

The Sun came into the 2010 WNBA Draft with two picks in the first round – the first and seventh overall picks, the latter of which was acquired one day prior to the draft from Tulsa. With its first overall selection in franchise history, the Sun took UConn standout and Player of the Year recipient, Tina Charles, the consensus top prospect available. By playing alongside premier talent at the collegiate level, Charles had shown that she was ready to pilot an offense and lead this franchise into the post-Sales era. After the selection of Charles, Thibault had the remainder of the draft to fortify the weapons around his newly acquired center. To diminish the losses of Amber Holt and Chante Black, both of whom were part of the package deal with the Shock, the Sun selected Kansas product Danielle McCray. Prior to the draft, it was understood that McCray wouldn't be available to participate in the upcoming season due to an ACL injury she sustained in college. There was risk involved concerning her durability, but McCray's potential as a superstar was reason enough to take the leap of faith. The Sun cemented its guard corps with the selection of Allison Hightower in the second round. Thibault wasn't finished making a mark on draft day as he maneuvered around the draft board to address the Sun's suspect defense. He nabbed former Cornhusker Kelsey Griffin, who was taken third overall, in a trade once again involving the Lynx. This trade would have the Sun relinquishing their first and second round picks in next year's draft. The acquisition of coveted players through the draft and free agency capped an offseason of change that had transformed a franchise for the future. Although the reconstruction of the Sun remained a work in progress, this talented class of prospects would serve as the foundation for a team that jumped back into contention quicker than anyone anticipated.

After the 2010 WNBA season, news surfaced that the Connecticut Sun was the first franchise in WNBA history to turn a profit.

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 Jēkabsone-Žogota 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.

In his decade-long pursuit of an elusive title, Mike Thibault found himself in the proverbial hot seat to engineer a deep run. But an absence of urgency was reflected in the team's free agency approach – making small waves to pry Thompson and Cash from their respective teams – to solely ink rugged forward Mistie Mims in relief of Charles. Sticking with the status quo meant the roster was set so much so that the Sun drafted an unheralded Malian prospect. Going into the season, Thibault had assembled a deep roster that necessitated only a couple minor moves to cap the off-season process. The coach's patience paid dividends when his burgeoning core bolted to a 6–1 start highlighted by a chafed Montgomery turning the starting reins over to Hightower. Leading into the 1-month Olympic hiatus, the Sun strung together a five-win streak to improve to a league-best 15–4 mark. Following the ill-timed Games, which saw the club's Jones-Charles tandem help capture gold for Team USA, Connecticut continued to perform superbly while short-handed. They finished the season 25–9, with a better road record (13–4) than as hosts. The Sun fended off late Liberty rallies to sweep their way into a joust with the Fever in what was the team's first Conference finals since 2010's radical facelift. In the series, the Sun took themselves to the doorstep of a Finals berth after notching a decisive Game 1 rout. But building on a stirring two-point Game 2 win and a rally cry after losing Douglas, Indiana derailed the Sun's seemingly predestined trip in a 71–87 home romp, a defeat that essentially cost longtime coach Thibault his job. The lion's share of the season's fortunes came from the talented triumvirate of Lawson, Jones and league MVP Tina Charles flanked by Mims and sixth woman Montgomery carving a niche as an energy duo off the pines. Though failure was what came to mind in taking stock of the team's decade season; the Fever capturing the year's title being emblematic of that.

Change at the top (since 2013)

On November 20, 2012, Mike Thibault was relieved of his duties as head coach for the franchise. While at the helm, he amassed a 206–134 record en route to 8 playoff appearances, four Eastern Conference titles and reaching the WNBA Finals twice in his ten-year tenure. However, Thibault's squads have had the notoriety for failing to flip their proverbial switch to close games; honing a burgeoning reputation for folding under pressure. This dubious distinction, coupled with the failure of achieving a franchise-first championship, led to the coach's dismissal. With an eye to accomplishing the objective of a WNBA title, the team hired Hall of Famer, Anne Donovan, as Thibault's successor. Among other WNBA stints, Donovan was the head coach of the '04 Seattle Storm team that captured the league title over, ironically, the Sun. Donovan hired Catherine Proto and Jennifer Gillom as her assistant coaches for her initial season. In 2014, Proto became Scouting and Video Operations Manager for the Sun and Steven Key replaced her as an assistant coach.

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. The arena is located at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. Compared to other arenas in which teams of the WNBA utilize, Mohegan Sun Arena is considerably small, with the maximum capacity (lower and upper levels) for a basketball game being 9,323. The Sun is one of few WNBA teams that plays in a venue truly suited to its product, and is often cited for boasting the most honest attendance figures in the league. The Sun is the only top-level professional franchise located in the state of Connecticut.

The Mohegan Sun Arena is located in the center of the mall area of the Mohegan Sun Casino. Due to this placement, Sun fans take advantage of the restaurants, shops and other destinations in the casino before and after games. Frequently, 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 Sun organization are considered employees of the casino, and as such, are unable to partake in any of the games of chance offered there.

Uniforms

Former players

Owners

General managers

Assistant coaches

Media coverage

Currently some Connecticut Sun games are broadcast on WCTX (MyTV 9), a local television station for the state of Connecticut. This is the second time WCTX has aired Sun matches. They were also the original home of Sun matches prior to the 2010 season. 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 WCTX consist of Bob Heussler and Rebecca Lobo, Jennifer Rizzotti or Kara Wolters. From 2012–2014 Sun games were broadcast on CPTV Sports (CPTV-S). For the 2011 season, Sun games were broadcast on Comcast Sports Net New England, with Mike Gorman as an announcer. In addition to Mike Gorman, broadcasters in the past have included Leah Secondo and Kara Wolters.

Audio broadcasts for all home games are done by Bob Heussler, which (excluding blackout games, in which case 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.

All–Stars

Olympic team selection