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The Connecticut Sun saw one of the most calamitous downfalls in WNBA history this past year, and certainly in franchise history. Finishing the regular season with an 11-33 overall record, the Sun came second-to-last in the Eastern Conference, with the Chicago Sky (10-34) claiming the last spot.
As disastrous as Connecticut’s latest campaign was, it doesn’t have to stay this way. The franchise has experienced great success in years prior, making their finish this year rather shocking in all the wrong ways. Fortunately, there is hope on the horizon.
This was a year of rebuilding for the Sun. Now that head coach Rachid Meziane and his young players have gained more experience in the WNBA, the team is likely to see more success next year.
In 2024, Connecticut had a remarkable start to the season during Stephanie White’s last season as head coach. Of course, with league icons such as DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas in clutch, the Sun was bound to surge ahead.
In fact, they had a clean 9-0 start to the season, having defeated the Indiana Fever twice, the Washington Mystics twice, the Minnesota Lynx, the Chicago Sky, Phoenix Mercury, Dallas Wings, and the Atlanta Dream.
Their remarkable undefeated run lasted until June 8, 2024 when they faced the New York Liberty, and their clean record came to a screeching halt. The Liberty handed them an 82-75 loss, but the Sun didn’t stay down for long; they soon started another winning streak, this time lasting four games.
By the end of the season, Connecticut was riding a 28-12 record and a postseason appearance. During the WNBA semifinals, the Sun competed against the Lynx, but Minnesota clinched the victory, eliminating White’s team from contention.
Connecticut is now working with a young group of players and a relatively fresh head coach, but Meziane’s young core is continuing to develop in the offseason after seeing individual success during their first year in the league.
Of course, Bonner and Thomas have since parted ways with the team, but there is still plenty of budding potential on board, and 2026 could be the year that this starts to shine through.
While it’s unlikely that Connecticut will immediately reach a starting record as imposing as their 9-0 in 2024, next year may serve as a stepping stone to get back to that point.
Meziane has an opportunity to foster his young core and lead them to the playoffs; it’s now a matter of whether he can make the pieces fit together on the court.
