Add history as one of its most formidable opponents. If you’re conversant in sports history, you know the NFL began as league of Midwest factory towns. One by one, Canton, Akron, Decatur and the others were abandoned until only Green Bay, and the community-owned Packers, remain as a link to those roots. The NBA, once it took flight, left cities like Fort Wayne and Syracuse. And don’t get us started on the NHL and Hartford.

Connecticut Sun enter new era in 2025 with introduction of head coach Rachid Meziane

When the Mohegan Sun brought the Orlando franchise to Connecticut in 2003, it was an ideal fit for The W. Maybe this isn’t a big market, but it is a women’s basketball hotbed. Now, as the WNBA expands, grows in popularity, seeks greater TV revenue, there is bound to be some sentiment from the league, and the players union, that it has outgrown the CT franchise and needs to move into a bigger market. Since the Sun played a game in Boston last year, a sellout at TD Garden, and made plans to play one of Caitlin Clark’s games vs. the Sun there next season, it’s natural to wonder if it’s a precursor to a removal of the franchise.

“We are here, this is where we want to be, so I wish people would put those rumors to bed,” said Beth Regan, chairwoman and justice of the Mohegan Tribal Council of Elders.

So the Sun are re-inventing themselves one more time, shuffling the front office to name former UConn star Morgan Tuck GM and hiring Rachid Meziane from France as head coach to blend EuroBasket with The W. With only three players currently under contract, the Sun, who have made the WNBA semifinals six years in a row, the finals twice, will look very different next spring, in personnel and style.

“There’s always optimism when you start a new chapter,” said Sun president Jen Rizzotti, the former UConn star. “There is no way to predict the future, but based on our success in the past and what we felt Rachid could bring our organization, adjustment wise, what our flow looks like, we felt he was the right fit for a team that’s been so close.”

The Sun have had success because coaches and GMs past and present, like Mike Thibault, Curt Miller, Stephanie White, Darius Taylor, now chief basketball strategist, and Tuck have stayed ahead of the curve in drafting and trading for players. The Sun have been modest players in the free agent market, and have had to trade their share of stars because of their desire to play in a bigger market, with more to do, more off-the-court revenue opportunities.

“We’ve been able to identify players that are interested in being part of a winning culture and maybe a little less interested in being a part of the things off the court that so many players nowadays feel are important,” Rizzotti said. “We’re looking for the blue-collar, underdog, hard-working personalities.”

This offseason will be a test to find out how many of those kinds of players are still out there. “This generation’s a little bit different,” Rizzotti said, “but there are differences in what a 22-year-old feels and what a 27-year old feels, or in players who have had that (big market) experience and it wasn’t what they were looking for.”

One of the biggest bones of contention in recent years has been the Sun’s practice digs at the Mohegan Tribal Community and Government Center, which they sometimes have to share with outside events — even in preparing for playoff games. The Indiana Fever announced Thursday it will build a $78 million performance center in downtown Indianapolis, next to its arena.

The Mohegan Tribe has acknowledged the need to upgrade facilities, but there are no plans to report as of yet, said Joseph M. Soper, Tribal Government Council corresponding secretary, a key figure in Mohegan Sun’s sports and entertainment realm.

“We understand where the infrastructure needs are going,” Soper said. “Especially as the league grows and develops, it’s something we’re always continuing to explore. We’re aware. We’ve always been committed to trying to provide what is right and what the team needs to be successful.”

Connecticut Sun take step toward becoming ‘New England’s team’ with first-ever TD Garden game

The idea of playing games in Boston came from the Sun, which was the first WNBA team to turn a profit on its own in 2010. The franchise is not for sale, but is looking to expose the WNBA to fans in Boston and perhaps interest some to travel to the casino and take in a game. The game against Los Angeles drew 19,103 to TD Garden last Aug. 20.

“Yes, we are a Connecticut team, but we really are New England’s team,” Soper said. “In the past, I don’t think we would have had the financial success to do it. You could see the excitement and anticipation of where the league was going, we felt it was the right opportunity.”

It could be considered, Tribal leaders say, that selected games with the potential to draw more than the 10,000 Mohegan Sun Arena holds could be played in Hartford, once the XL Center is renovated. The Sun averaged 8,450 last season, ninth among 12 teams.

As the Sun put together a new roster for 2025, almost from scratch, Meziane will be offering free agents something different, a re-imagined Sun. “This new trend of that position-less, everyone-can-shoot, everyone has those kind of premier skills,” Tuck said. “As a player, that’s a little more enjoyable, more free-flowing, you’re reading and reacting.”

As a coach in the Euro League with France and leader of the fourth-place Belgian team in the Paris Olympics, Meziane is looking to play what some call “beautiful basketball,” and many modern players who have overseas experience could be drawn to it. This is the latest plan for a small-market franchise that, historically, is a can-do organization.

“The W has a lot of physicality,” Meziane said. “In Europe, we have less physicality, so we have to play smartly, have a high basketball IQ, move the ball, less isolations, less one-on-one. We have unselfish play in Europe. I think we can mix this, combine high-IQ basketball with physicality and this combination can make something very nice, very exciting for our fans to watch. You saw in the last Olympic games, European teams can compete with Team USA, so it’s very smart for NBA and WNBA coaches to analyze what’s happening in Europe.”

More for your Sunday Read:

Dom Amore’s Sunday Read: Fascinating tale of a UConn men’s basketball walk-on; the selfless Caroline Ducharme and more

Still a way for Will?

Now that the Titans, who finished 3-14, have secured the No.1 pick in the draft, quarterback Will Levis, the Xavier-Middletown grad and 33rd overall pick in the 2023 draft, faces an uncertain future there.

Levis completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 2,091 yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, a quarterback rating of 81.2, near the bottom of NFL regulars. He missed time with a shoulder injury and was benched for a couple of games late in the season.

“All I can do is work this offseason on those areas of my game and come back here and show them I can be a franchise quarterback,” Levis told reporters in Nashville last week. “I truly believe with the ball I put on tape, and my body of work as a whole this season, I know and people who know ball, I think, can see that I can do it. I want to be a starter, I know I have what it takes, hoping to show I can continue to be a starter in this league.”

After the last game, Levis said he wanted to “be the quarterback of this team for the rest of my career.” If he does move to a new team, Levis would have some history on his side. There are many examples, most recently Sam Darnold in Minnesota, of young quarterbacks failing with their original team, but coming into their own later on.

Sunday short takes

*UConn’s Marc Gatcomb, who joined the Islanders’ organization this season, was summoned off the ice during the morning skate with Bridgeport of the AHL and sent up to New York on an emergency basis when a flu bug hit Jean-Gabriel Pageau among others on the team.

After taking his “rookie lap” before Tuesday’s game against Ottawa, Gatcomb, 25, flipped the puck over the glass to his parents, who drove down from Massachusetts. He played 7 1/2 minutes with the fourth line, and was returned to Bridgeport, where he has nine goals and eight assists. He’s the ninth UConn player to reach the NHL.

“I thought he had a really good start. That line had some energy at the beginning,” coach Patrick Roy told reporters afterward. “I thought he did a really, really nice job. He was physical, he was good for his first game.

*With Brad Robbins off to Tulsa, UConn coach Jim Mora has an important hire to make. To get the attention of quality quarterbacks in the transfer portal, a respected QB coach is essential. Hey, would Dan Orlovsky be interested?

*Former UConn men’s basketball teammates Jalen Adams and Brendan Adams (no relation) are pro teammates this season with Hapoel Holon of the Israeli Basketball Premier League.

*With Dodger Stadium undergoing renovations, it looks like the UConn-Vanderbilt baseball game scheduled to be played there March 2 will be moved to UCLA.

*Only baseball produces one-of-a-kind characters like Bob Uecker, the backup catcher who made a career out of putting himself down to lift the rest of us up. “A Braves scout came to my house and said they wanted to sign me for $20,000. My Dad said, ‘I’m sorry, but we don’t have that kind of money.'” Uecker died Thursday at 90, a long life, so well-lived.

Coach K says Big East, ACC should consider forming ‘mega-conference’

Last word

Mike Krzyzewski proposed an ACC-Big East merger or alliance this week and I listened with great interest, as I have proposed such an idea in this space before. Coach K has it right. Sure, it would be the best of all possible worlds for UConn, basically the original Big East re-assembled, plus Duke, UNC, et al. But it would also be good for the ACC, with UConn adding value in multiple sports. Rick Pitino was also talking about mega-conferences for basketball at Big East Media Day in October, and endorsed Coach K’s idea. So how does this sound? The Big East schools play their tournament at Madison Square Garden, the ACC at Barclays, can alternate years on that, and the two winners meet on Saturday.

“It’s like, to learn to swim, you have to go to the swimming pool, so I’m getting in the pool as much as possible,” Meziane joked at his introductory press conference Thursday.

Meziane was hired as head coach of the Connecticut Sun on Dec. 4, becoming the first international coach in the franchise’s 27-year history. Meziane has spent 19 years coaching in the French Ligue Feminine including the past five with Villeneuve d’Ascq, leading the club to a league championship in 2024. He has also coached Belgium’s women’s national team since 2022, and the team had its best-ever Olympic finish coming in fourth at the Paris Games this summer.

Though Meziane’s English is still shaky and he had never set foot in the state before this week, the opportunity to join the WNBA was one he couldn’t pass up.

“The WNBA is the best league in the world, and the W has the best players, so I cannot understand who (would) not be interested to join it,” Meziane said. “I knew that it could be a big challenge. It will take lot of hard work, but I’m ready for that … For me, the WNBA was something I had to do. I have to be here to compete against the best teams, the best players, the best coaches in the world.”

The Sun went through a long interview process to find the right replacement for Stephanie White, who left the team after two seasons to serve as head coach of the Indiana Fever. General manager Morgan Tuck, who was officially promoted the day before Meziane’s hire was announced, helped spearhead the search alongside president Jennifer Rizzotti and former general manager Darius Taylor — who is remaining in the Sun front office under a new title. Rizzotti said the trio worked in equal partnership to identify and vet candidates, and Meziane eventually checked every box the team was looking for.

“Me, her and Darius did everything together pretty much. We all reached out to our networks, we identified a list, and we met very regularly, every couple days, about the list,” Rizzotti said. “I set up a lot of initial interviews to kind of vet candidates, and then if I felt like they were the right fit, we then immediately set up an interview for the three of us, and then they would usually follow up with an interview just the two of them, so all three of us had a chance to talk to each candidate multiple times in different settings … It was a very much a combined team effort, like literally 33.3% that each of us put into this process, because we felt like it was really important that we had the perspective of all three of us, and we chose the right person that we all believed would fit.”

hard work, discipline, and communication #BringTheHeat | #CTSun pic.twitter.com/Eb0lmSxVkI

— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) January 16, 2025

Meziane plans to officially move to Connecticut in February, and his wife and children will join him after they finish their school year in July. Meziane has a 9-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter, who he said attended nearly all of his games in France, and he expects they will become the Sun’s biggest fans as soon as they arrive.

One of the Sun’s biggest requirements in their hiring process was finding someone willing to relocate to Connecticut full time. The team has not had a head coach live year-round in the state since Mike Thibault was fired in 2012, and Rizzotti felt the team needed a full-time presence as the WNBA expands with fewer players leaving to compete overseas during the offseason.

“That was honestly one of my first questions to everyone. That’s why I talked to everybody first, because I didn’t want us to interview somebody who wasn’t willing to be a Connecticut native,” Rizzotti said. “I felt like it was important — as we’re going to continue to invest in the team, we’re going to have facilities that match what (players) want, we’re going to have players here in the offseason — that their coaches needed to be here and they needed to be all into that … We needed to have our entire staff feeling invested in that Connecticut future.”

Meziane is also an elite basketball mind, aiming to marry the more team-oriented European game with the aggressive style of the WNBA. He originally played soccer growing up but quickly switched to basketball after developing a fascination with the Xs and Os of the game, and his knowledge immediately endeared him to Rizzotti and Tuck as former players.

“The WNBA has more physicality and some rules are a bit different, but the basketball is universal,” Meziane said. “I moved to basketball because I think in basketball we have more tactics, so it’s something I’m very interested by, and for sure my experience (will help). I’ve coached many players, and many of them are very smart, so I’ve learned from them … It’s easy to talk with Morgan because she is a former player. She played basketball at the top level, so I think that she’s able to really evaluate my skills. We felt our passion, and that’s why I’m here.”

The Sun did not retain any of the assistant coaches from White’s staff and are looking to fill two more positions after hiring former New York Liberty assistant Roneeka Hodges on Jan. 10. Hodges played for 10 years in the WNBA across six different teams, and she also played multiple seasons overseas in France before retiring in 2019. Hodges spent the last three years working under Australian national team coach Sandy Brondello and helped the Liberty to their first WNBA Championship in franchise history in 2024.

Rizzotti said Meziane’s input will be important in rounding out his coaching staff, but she is also prioritizing women and former players in the hiring process to complement his international experience.

“Obviously he wants people that he’s comfortable with, so he had his list of people he wanted us to interview, and for us, having former players on the staff was important to us,” Rizzotti said. “I wanted to make sure, not only do we have former players on staff, but that we are also grooming the next generation of WNBA head coaches in our league … I’ve always felt that you hire the best person for the job — I played for the best coach in the United States (UConn’s Geno Auriemma) who happens to be a man — but it’s not lost on me that women being able to put successful women in leadership roles needs to be a priority.”

Burton, a 5-foot-9 guard out of Northwestern, was picked No. 7 overall in the 2022 WNBA Draft by the Dallas Wings and played her first two seasons with the franchise before she was waived during training camp in 2024. The Sun signed Burton two weeks into the 2024 season to help replace point guard Moriah Jefferson after a knee injury, and she logged 12.7 minutes in 31 game appearances. The third-year guard averaged a career-best 3.1 points and 1.9 assists per game.

Teams were able to protect six players from selection in the expansion draft, and Burton’s availability indicates that both former UConn star Olivia Nelson-Ododa and 2024 first-round draft pick Leila Lacan were protected by the Sun. Lacan is from France, so keeping her rights made perfect sense for Connecticut after the team hired French head coach Rachid Meziane on Wednesday, especially given Lacan’s experience playing in the EuroLeague where Meziane has coached since 2006. Nelson-Ododa was traded to the Sun in 2023 after she was drafted in the second round by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2022, and she is Connecticut’s only forward who will not enter 2025 as an unrestricted free agent.

Thank you, V #BringTheHeat | #CTSun pic.twitter.com/IbZW8PMK2D

— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) December 6, 2024

Burton was one of just four guards selected by the Valkyries, who took 11 players in the first expansion draft since 2008. She will be joined by rookie Carla Leite from the Dallas Wings, Kate Martin from the Las Vegas Aces, and Julie Vanloo from the Washington Mystics.

Golden State also drafted Iliana Rupert from the Atlanta Dream, Maria Conde from the Chicago Sky, Temi Fagbenle from the Indiana Fever, Stephanie Talbot from the Los Angeles Sparks, Cecilia Zandalsini from the Minnesota Lynx, Kayla Thornton from the New York Liberty and Monique Billings from the Phoenix Mercury. Golden State did not draft any players from the Seattle Storm.

“We are trying to build a very, very competitive culture,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase told ESPN. “I have three non-negotiables: Number one, they have to be ultra competitive. They have to really love winning, and they have to hate to lose. Number two, they have to be high character, so that means that they have to sacrifice for the greater good of the team always. Then the last one is they have to have a never satisfied mindset. I like players that like to play with a little chip on their shoulder.”

But Tuck never left the world of basketball, and on Tuesday the Connecticut Sun announced her as its new general manager entering her fourth season as part of the front office. Connecticut drafted the former UConn star with the No. 3 pick in 2016, and the 30-year-old is now the youngest active general manager in the WNBA. She is one of two former players serving in the role along with L.A. Sparks GM Raegan Pebley and one of two Black women joining Golden State Valkyries GM Ohemaa Nyanin.

“It’s a little bit surreal,” Tuck said. “When I was young, for some reason I really like Pat Riley when he was with the (Miami) Heat and was their GM. I didn’t know what a GM did, it was just something about Pat Riley I thought was so cool … I was young and didn’t think it would happen, but to be in it now, it’s just a cool experience. It’s obviously a couple days old, so it’s not like I’m seasoned in the role yet, but I’m just excited for a new opportunity and ready to learn and grow in a different way.”

Less than 24 hours after Tuck was announced as general manager, the Sun also hired new head coach Rachid Meziane. Coach Stephanie White unexpectedly parted ways with the team after two seasons in October to accept the head coaching job with the Indiana Fever, and Connecticut found itself one of six franchises scrambling to fill a vacancy during the 2024 offseason.

Tuck said the process of hiring Meziane — the first international head coach in Sun history — was a collaboration across the front office, including former general manager Darius Taylor. Taylor is remaining with the franchise, transitioning into a new position as director of scouting and chief basketball strategist.

Grateful to welcome @MezianeRachid15 to the Connecticut Sun fam #BringTheHeat | #CTSun pic.twitter.com/2fVKDKITsl

— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) December 4, 2024

“Going forward, he’s always a resource, and he’s going to still be a very important, integral piece of the Connecticut Sun,” Tuck said. “It’ll change a little bit, but I will always value his opinion, his thoughts, his input … I have a great support system here — I’ve talked about Darius, but also our president, Jen Rizzotti — and I think we take the approach of, the more you collaborate and have different minds and perspectives, I think that helps you come to a better decision.”

Tuck began her career with the Sun serving as the director of franchise development in 2021, then added the title of assistant general manager under Taylor when he was hired in 2022. She said the goal of taking on that role was always to develop towards a promotion to GM with Taylor serving as a mentor.

“Something we spoke about was my development and trying to make sure I was learning from someone really good, that had some experience … so that I could get ready for the role,” Tuck said. “I have to give Darius a ton of credit, because he’s been a great person to work for and a really great boss. He’s always been very open to helping me learn, answering questions, involving me as much as possible, just making sure that he was giving me as much as possible to help prepare me for the next step.”

On top of a new coaching staff, Tuck will have a lot to juggle in the early weeks and months of her tenure. The WNBA is holding its first expansion draft since 2008 for the Valkyries on Friday with two more expansion franchises coming in 2026, and Connecticut has five players including three All-Stars set to hit unrestricted free agency in January. Only Alyssa Thomas is eligible to receive a core designation in 2025, while DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones have both played under the tag previously for the maximum two seasons allowed.

The landscape of the WNBA will change dramatically through free agency over the next two years with a new collective bargaining agreement in the works: Most players are not signing contracts that extend beyond 2026 until the terms of the CBA are established, so a majority of league veterans will be unrestricted free agents next offseason. But even with an intimidating to-do list, Tuck feels prepared for her new challenge.

“I think the biggest thing is, you lean on the people around you,” Tuck said. “I know I’m listed as GM, but I’m not doing gm by myself. I have people that are helping me and that make sure that I have what I need, that have helped prepare me for it … Some of those things you’re never truly fully ready for until you’re in it, but I do think that I’ve had the people that have poured into me enough to make sure that I am ready for it … I think that’s been kind of my saving grace in not feeling too overwhelmed or feeling like there’s so much on my plate. I have people that are more than willing to help me, which is a great thing.”

Meziane, a native of Clemont-Ferrand, France, has spent the last five years as the head coach of Villeneuve d’Ascq in the French Ligue Feminine de Basketball. He led the team to a league championship and a runner-up finish in the EuroLeague in 2024. Meziane is also the head coach of Belgium’s women’s national team, which finished fourth at the 2024 Paris Olympics after falling to Australia in the bronze medal game.

Between the Ligue Feminine and Belgian national team, Meziane has coached multiple current and former WNBA players including New York Liberty forward Kennedy Burke, two-time All-Star Emma Meeseman and standout Washington Mystics rookie Julie Vanloo. Though she has never played under Meziane directly, the Sun also drafted French guard Leila Lacan in the first round of the 2024 WNBA Draft with hopes that she will join the roster as a rookie in 2025.

“I am honored to represent a franchise like the Connecticut Sun, a team and organization with a rich history and a passionate fan base,” Meziane said in a statement. “I look forward to working with our talented roster and assembling a dedicated coaching staff, as we continue to build upon the Sun’s legacy and strive for a championship.”

Time to introduce our new coach #BringTheHeat | #CTSun pic.twitter.com/2kqxVNDLPQ

— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) December 4, 2024

The Sun are the fourth WNBA team to hire a new head coach since the end of the 2024 season, with the Washington Mystics and Dallas Wings still looking to fill their vacancies. Connecticut parted ways with head coach Stephanie White at the end of October after two seasons, and White was hired days later as the new head coach of the Indiana Fever. Meziane is the first international head coach in Sun history, and he is also the first coach hired without any previous WNBA coaching experience since Mike Thibault came from the Milwaukee Bucks in 2003.

Connecticut also announced a surprise change at general manager on Tuesday, promoting former UConn star Morgan Tuck to the position after two years as assistant general manager and three as the director of franchise development. Darius Taylor, who served as general manager for two seasons during White’s tenure, will move to a new role in the front office as director of scouting and chief basketball strategist.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rachid as the new head coach of the Connecticut Sun,” Tuck said in a statement. “He brings a wealth of experience, passion, and a proven track record of success that will help elevate our players and team as a whole. Rachid’s dedication and commitment to growing women’s basketball, internationally and domestically, brings a unique perspective both on and off the court that aligns with the values and vision of our organization. We look forward to the future under Rachid’s leadership and are excited for the positive impact he will have on our team and community.”

Biggest games on the 2025 WNBA schedule for Connecticut Sun, including return to TD Garden vs. Indiana Fever

The Sun’s roster is in a tumultuous position entering 2025, beginning with the first expansion draft since 2008 for the Golden State Valkyries on Friday. Every team submitted a list of six protected players ahead of the draft, and the Valkyries will be able to select from the remaining available pool excluding unrestricted free agents who are not eligible for a core designation. Connecticut can protect most of its key pieces but will likely have to leave one of Veronica Burton, Olivia Nelson-Ododa or Lacan available for Golden State.

Connecticut has five players hitting unrestricted free agency in 2025, including its All-Star trio of Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones. Thomas is the only one eligible for a core designation, and the Sun will face an uphill battle to retain Jones and Bonner as other franchises invest heavily in resources like practice facilities and player services. The team also does not have a first-round draft pick in 2025 after trading it to the Chicago Sky to acquire Marina Mabrey in July.

Head coach Stephanie White parted ways with the team on Oct. 28 to accept the same position with the Indiana Fever after she went 55-25 in two seasons with Connecticut. Assistant coach Austin Kelly will also join White’s staff in Indiana, and assistant Briann January has reportedly interviewed for head coaching jobs this cycle. All three of the Sun’s All-Star veterans — Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones — are currently free agents , and Thomas is the only member of the trio eligible to receive a core designation. Connecticut also does not have a first-round draft pick this year after trading it to the Chicago Sky to acquire sharpshooter Marina Mabrey in July.

The Sun’s schedule for next season includes four matchups with 2024 playoff teams in the first two weeks. Connecticut hosts the Las Vegas Aces, who made the semifinals last season after back-to-back championships in 2022 and ’23, for its second game of the year, then faces the Minnesota Lynx on the road coming off of their 2024 WNBA Finals run. The Sun play five of their first 10 games on the road in some of the most challenging arenas in the league, including the Indiana Fever’s Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and the New York Liberty’s Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

From former UConn stars’ homecomings in Connecticut to the second-ever game at TD Garden in Boston, here are the biggest matchups on the Sun’s 2025 schedule:

The Connecticut Sun 2025 Season Forecast#BringTheHeat | #CTSun pic.twitter.com/0Wq44G89SM

— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) December 2, 2024

May 18: Season opener vs. Washington Mystics

Connecticut host the Mystics for the first game of the 2025 season at Mohegan Sun Arena, and it will also mark the debut of two first-year head coaches who have not yet been hired. The Mystics were one of six teams to make a change this offseason, firing the father-son duo of head coach Eric Thibault and general manager Mike Thibault, former Sun coach, on Oct. 23, and they are now one of three teams along with the Sun and Dallas Wings who have yet to fill their open positions.

The Sun swept the Mystics in 2024, but all four meetings were battles, including an overtime game on the road in June. Washington’s roster also includes former UConn standout Aaliyah Edwards, who averaged 7.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in 22 minutes per game as a rookie last season.

May 27: Paige Bueckers’ likely first WNBA game in CT

The Dallas Wings won the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft lottery, and it is widely assumed that they will use it to select UConn superstar Paige Bueckers. Bueckers is in the midst of her redshirt senior season with the No. 2 Huskies and is currently averaging 22 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and two steals on 62.7% shooting from the field. If she does land with the Wings, Bueckers will play her first professional game in Connecticut in just the second week of the season.

The Sun went 3-0 against the Wings in 2024, but Bueckers could be a game-changing addition for the franchise alongside four-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale and 2023 No. 3 pick Maddy Siegrist. Dallas plays a second game at Mohegan Sun Arena on June 20, so Connecticut fans should have multiple opportunities to see the Huskies star in her rookie year.

June 25: First meeting with Golden State Valkyries

For the first time since 2008, a brand-new franchise will join the WNBA in 2025. The Golden State Valkyries are the first of three expansion teams set to join the league by 2026, and the Sun will face the newcomers for the first time on the road in San Francisco in June.

The Valkyries are led by head coach Natalie Nakase, who helped the Las Vegas Aces to back-to-back WNBA titles over three years as an assistant to coach Becky Hammon from 2022-24. Golden State will begin building its roster with the WNBA expansion draft this Friday, and the Sun will have to leave at least one of their young standouts — Olivia Nelson Ododa, Veronica Burton or 2024 first-round pick Laila Lacan — unprotected.

July 15: Sun return to TD Garden vs. Indiana Fever

The Sun made history in 2024 at TD Garden, playing the first WNBA game ever in Boston in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 19,100 at the home of the Boston Celtics. Connecticut beat the Los Angeles Sparks 69-61 in the game, and they will look to break records again when Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever make the trip to Boston in 2025.

The Fever and Sun have a burgeoning rivalry after Connecticut eliminated Indiana from the 2024 WNBA Playoffs in a 2-0 sweep at Mohegan Sun Arena. The Sun went 3-1 against the Fever during the regular season, suffering their lone loss on the road in Indianapolis.

Connecticut Sun take step toward becoming ‘New England’s team’ with first-ever TD Garden game

Aug. 30: Sun host Minnesota Lynx for semifinal rematch

The Lynx and Sun battled through a hotly-contested series in the 2024 WNBA Playoffs, and Connecticut was ultimately eliminated in the semifinals for the second year in a row after forcing a deciding Game 5 in Minneapolis. Minnesota went on to force Game 5 in an all-time WNBA Finals series against the New York Liberty that included two overtime games and four decided by three points or less.

The Lynx will return MVP runner-up Napheesa Collier in 2025 and host Connecticut twice before the All-Star break on May 23 and June 29 at Target Center. The Sun get their lone home matchup against Minnesota late in the season, which could mean high stakes for playoff seeding if the teams are as closely-matched as they were in 2024. Connecticut went 2-1 against Minnesota in the regular season with all three meetings determined by a single score.

Connecticut Sun promote ex-UConn star Morgan Tuck to general manager, Darius Taylor transitions to new role

The other ‘home’ game will be in Boston.

The 2025 WNBA regular season schedule was released on Monday, and the Sun announced that the team’s July 15 game against the Fever will take place at TD Garden in Boston, where the franchise hosted the first-ever WNBA game in that city this past season.

Clark and the Fever will play at Mohegan Sun Arena on August 17, and twice in Indiana, on May 30 and June 17.

The Sun sold out TD Garden, home to the Boston Celtics and Bruins, last season for a game against the Los Angeles Sparks. The announced attendance of 19,156 was hailed as the highest in franchise history.

The Sun said presale tickets for the game against the Fever in Boston this season will be on sale exclusively on the Connecticut Sun mobile app, and tickets for all regular season games will be available on Ticketmaster at a date to be announced.

The 2025 WNBA season will feature a league-record 44 games from mid-May through early September.

The Sun will tip off the season on Sunday, May 18 at 1 p.m. against the Washington Mystics at Mohegan Sun Arena. The team’s annual Camp Day game will be held Wednesday, July 9 at 11 a.m. against the Seattle Storm.

Sun 2025 Opponent Breakdown:

Atlanta Dream: Home: June 6, September 1, September 10; Away: May 25, September 8
Chicago Sky: Home: June 15, August 13; Away: August 23, September 3
Dallas Wings: Home: May 27, June 20; Away: August 27
Golden State Valkyries: Home: July 27; Away: June 22, August 11
Indiana Fever: Home: July 15*, August 17; Away: May 30, June 17
Las Vegas Aces: Home: May 20, July 6; Away: June 25, August 10
Los Angeles Sparks: Home: July 24; Away: July 13, August 7
Minnesota Lynx: Home: August 30; Away: May 23, June 29
New York Liberty: Home: August 1, August 3; Away: June 1, August 25
Phoenix Mercury: Home: June 18, September 6; Away: August 5
Seattle Storm: Home: July 9, July 28; Away: June 27, July 11
Washington Mystics: Home: May 18, August 21; Away: June 8, August 19

*Game to be played at TD Garden.

Seeing a Georgia State player falling on it, UConn’s coaches prepared their defense for a stand. “Their guy had the ball,” coach Jim Mora said, “and there was Jackson Harper, and he fought and he fought and he fought and he fought and he fought and I don’t know how he came up with it, but he came up with it.”

Harper, a redshirt freshman receiver from Simsbury and Avon Old Farms who was pushed down the depth chart when UConn brought in a slew of veteran receivers from the transfer portal, earned the literal and figurative game ball, allowing the Huskies to run out the clock, beat Georgia State 34-27 and become bowl eligible for the second time in three years.

“On the ‘hands team,’ my role on the front line, just see the ball, get the ball,” Harper said. “The feeling is great in the locker room, we earned these six wins and we’ve got a lot left for the rest of the season. We’re far from finished.”

Dom Amore: Seniors leaving UConn football better than they found it

A year ago at this time, UConn football looked finished, again, and Mora sounded finished, lamenting the lack of resources to compete even with group of five conference FBS foes, a “can’t-win-here” refrain we’ve heard for many times. The Huskies were run off the field in Atlanta when they played Georgia State last season.

Now, UConn is 6-3 for the first time since 2008. Money talks here, and Mora can speak the language.

“There’s a guy standing back there, Mike Burton, the impact that man has had on this football program,” Mora said, pointing to the back of the interview room. “He has been the kingpin behind us having what you have to have in this day and age, which is NIL funds. He cares desperately about this program.”

Burton and Jared Guy Thomas at Bleeding Blue For Good collective, and Marc D’Amelio, the force behind his Huskies Collective, were among those who stepped up to raise the funds Mora said he needed when the transfer portal opened. In the spring and summer, UConn’s coaches identified 27 new players, experienced players with the will and skill to win, who needed a stage. As a result Mora, who led a dramatic turnaround from 1-11 to 6-6 in his first season, did it all over again, from 3-9 to bowl eligibility.

Transfers Mel Brown, Durell Robinson, Louis Hansen, Nick Evers and Chris Freeman accounted for all 34 points.

“The state of affairs in college football lends itself to our having the chance to have success,” Mora said. “Because we can go get some players and we can reload quickly, and we’re going to continue to do that. We’re going to be as aggressive as we can possibly be in the portal when it opens. Now, we’re not thinking about that right now, but you’ve got to have a plan and we’re going to get more good football players.”

Dom Amore: From punchline to powerful, UConn football forcing opponents to show a healthy respect

After getting beaten down 50-7 at Maryland in the season opener, UConn has been competitive in every game, including two close losses to Duke and Wake Forest of the ACC. They’ve beaten three teams from The American, and teams from the MAC and now the Sun Belt, with a games at Alabama-Birmingham, Syracuse and UMass left on the schedule. They are now guaranteed a bowl game, but an eight- or nine-win UConn team would be an attractive invitee, a team that will show up and play like it wants to be there.

The crowds at Rentschler Field, usually larger than the 22,000 Friday night, have watched a team fighting for every inch, as the D-line did on the goal-line stand vs. Temple, as Harper did for that spinning on-side kick Friday, as Norwalk’s Cam Edwards did for the first down that allowed the Huskies to take a knee.

“Football’s a business game, and we trust our coaches in every decision they make and that’s why we’re winning games now,” senior defensive back Malik Dixon-Williams said. “We’ve all bought it. No one’s hesitating or doubting anymore. … I came to UConn to be a part of change, to build something better, and that’s what we’re doing.”

Mel Brown finds the end zone pic.twitter.com/EsDMDGBEMz

— UConn Football (@UConnFootball) November 2, 2024

The Huskies finished the home schedule 6-1, and has reached a point where some of the victories, over Temple, Rice and probably Georgia State, have had the diehards complaining they were too close for comfort. Hey, remember when the Huskies were losing games and weren’t close enough to care? Credibility was the most important box, and Mora’s Huskies have checked it a second time.

“These coaches that are not embracing the portal, or they don’t like it,” Mora said. “I mean, this is what my life’s been. I was an NFL coach, and every year there’s a portal, it’s called free agency, every year, there’s recruiting, it’s called the draft, and it’s about money. So I feel pretty comfortable with it, I embrace it and I love it. It gives us a chance to win.”

More for your Sunday Read:

Dom Amore’s Sunday Read: Windsor High football wears No.1 rank comfortably; Chopping it up at Rick Pitino’s place, and more

Joey Jay, 1935-2024

Joey Jay, from Middletown, the first graduate of Little League baseball to play in the major leagues, died on Sept. 27. The Reds, who inducted Jay into the franchise’s Hall of Fame, announced his passing this week.

Jay, who pitched three no-hitters for Woodrow Wilson High, was a “Bonus Baby,” having signed with the Braves for $40,000 in 1953, the rules of the time requiring that he go straight to the major leagues. He made his debut at age 18 for Milwaukee.

Traded to Cincinnati, he won 21 games in 1961 and beat the Yankees, one of the great teams in history, in Game 2 of the World Series, pitching a complete-game four-hitter. He struck out Roger Maris, who’d hit a record 61 home runs, twice. Jay lost Game 5 as New York clinched the Series. He won 21 again in 1962, and pitched until 1966, finishing with a 99-91 record. Jay spent his post-baseball life in Florida, where he was successful in several business ventures and rarely gave interviews about his baseball days. Jay was inducted into the Middletown Sports Hall of Fame in 1994 and joined the Reds’ Hall  in 2008.

Sunday short takes

*Dave Roberts managed a brilliant postseason for the Dodgers. I didn’t think he’d be able to get through three series using his bullpen the way he did, but the state of his starting rotation made it necessary. He didn’t manage postseason games like it was July; he maneuvered with Cooperstown-level skillfulness.

*UConn senior Chloe Thomas won the Big East championship in cross country, running the 6K course in Leesburg, Va., in 19:36.60. Thomas, from Dundas, Ontario, is the first individual Big East champ ever for UConn.

*Hartford Athletic came up short in its late-season run for the United Soccer League playoffs, but with some stability — like keeping coach Brendan Burke — the franchise appears on the right track.

*A few hours after Ben Casparius started Game 4 of the World Series for the Dodgers, another former UConn pitcher, Anthony Kay, threw seven scoreless innings in Game 4 of the Japanese championship series. Maybe Kay, former Blue Jay, Cub and Met, has earned himself one more shot in MLB. Two other former Huskies, lefthanders P.J. Poulin and Tim Cate, are soon to be minor-league free agents, to look for a team that will give them a shot in spring training.

*When Indiana opened the WNBA season at Connecticut, Caitlin Clark went out of her way to praise Stephanie White’s “basketball mind,” as White had worked some Iowa games for TV. No surprise White is now the Fever’s coach.

Stephanie White hired as Indiana Fever head coach days after parting ways with Connecticut Sun

*If modern media is going to make folk heroes out of buffoons who interfere with players at the ballpark — and, no, I don’t care where they are from — then it’s time to put netting or a barrier of some type to separate fans from the action.

*If someone agrees with you nowadays, they answer “hundred percent.” Suppose you’re pretty sure they’re right, can you say “eighty-nine percent?” If you see their point but still disagree, should you say “twenty-three percent?”

*Three former Giants head coaches are semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Two-time Super Bowl champ Tom Coughlin would seem a lock sooner than later. Dan Reeves, having gone to four Super Bowls elsewhere, should have been in long ago. Then there is . Bill Arnsparger, 7-28 with the Giants but most famous as defensive coordinator for the undefeated ’72 Dolphins. He would be a worthy, ground-breaking choice.

Last word

On the Yankees’ Game 5 meltdown … first, a little perspective: The Yankees did reach the World Series despite obvious flaws and underperformance at several positions, and lost to a team that’s been picked to win it all for several years. Don’t see anybody getting fired. It was a really terrible end to a good season.

However, a lack of attention to detail and fundamentals pervades all of MLB, has inflicted the Yankees, and it showed ignominiously. They had similar melt-down innings during the season; the accountability and urgency of the past is lacking. Championship teams make the fewest mistakes, and do you know who the Yankees miss on this front? Long-time coach and spring training coordinator Rob Thomson, who left with Joe Girardi and is now the Phillies manager.

To get back to the World Series, let alone win it, the Yankees will have to find a way to keep Juan Soto and upgrade several areas, while getting younger and saving salary at first base, second base, left field, the bullpen. And maybe they should let players grow beards, but demand they play the game right.

Indiana fired second-year coach Christie Sides on Sunday after a 20-20 season in 2024 that ended in the Fever’s first WNBA Playoffs appearance since 2016, though they were swept 2-0 in the first round by White’s Sun. Sides had a 33-47 record over two seasons in Indiana.

White inherits a Fever team that looks dramatically different from the one Sides took over after it won five games in 2022. Indiana has built one of the most exciting young cores in the league around back-to-back No. 1 picks, center Aliyah Boston in 2023 and guard Caitlin Clark in 2024. Boston and Clark both won Rookie of the Year in their first seasons, and Clark became the first rookie to make the All-WNBA first team since Candace Parker in 2008.

White’s connections to the Fever run deep: She is from Indiana and signed her National Letter of Intent with then-coach Lin Dunn, now a senior advisor in the Fever front office, to play at Purdue from 1995-99. White was drafted by the Charlotte Sting in 1999 but played only a single season there before she was traded to Indiana, and she spent the rest of her career with the franchise from 2000-04.

“I am incredibly proud and honored to return home to Indiana and lead the Fever during such a pivotal moment in this franchise’s history, as well as during during such an important time throughout women’s athletics,” said White in a statement. “This franchise has and always will be committed to winning and I look forward to working every day to help deliver another WNBA title to the greatest basketball fans in the world.”

Indiana also gave White her first head coaching job in the WNBA in 2015, replacing Dunn after seven seasons as Fever head coach. White began her pro coaching career as an assistant with the Chicago Sky from 2007-2010, then joined Dunn’s Indiana staff in 2011. She was a part of the Fever’s only WNBA championship in 2012 and led the team back to the Finals in her first season after taking over for Dunn. Her departure in 2016 was by choice, to return to the college ranks as the head coach at Vanderbilt.

“As we enter this new era of Fever basketball, I am thrilled to welcome Stephanie back to the franchise,” said Fever president of basketball operations Kelly Krauskopf in the statement. “Stephanie is a part of the fabric of this franchise, both as a former player and as a member of our championship coaching staff, so I’m quite familiar with her elite basketball IQ and leadership style. I am confident there is no one who better understands our culture or is more equipped to lead our group of players to the next level.”

The Sun are now one of six franchises with head coaching openings: The Los Angeles Sparks fired second-year coach Curt Miller on Sept. 24, and the Chicago Sky parted ways with Teresa Weatherspoon after a single season two days later. Atlanta Dream coach Tanisha Wright, Dallas Wings coach Latricia Trammel and Washington Mystics coach Eric Thibault were all let go in October, after three seasons for Wright and two for Trammel and Thibault.

For the first time in league history, seven teams in the WNBA (not including the Golden State expansion franchise) will enter 2025 with a new head coach.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that White is the Fever’s target to replace Sides, and she was reportedly under contract with the Sun through 2025 before Monday’s announcement. White had a 55-25 record over two seasons with the Sun and was the WNBA Coach of the Year in 2023.

White’s postseason exit interview was postponed from Oct. 10 as she dealt with a family emergency, and she said at the rescheduled press conference Oct. 17 that caring for her loved ones was taking all focus over career conversations at that time.

“Just being here for my family, getting through this, that’s my priority,” White said. “I’m not having conversations right now about anything outside of my family. I’m solely focused on on my family and getting through this tough time.”

For the first time in league history, seven teams in the WNBA (not including the Golden State expansion franchise) will enter 2025 with a new head coach. The Los Angeles Sparks fired second-year coach Curt Miller on Sept. 24, and the Chicago Sky parted ways with Teresa Weatherspoon after a single season two days later. Atlanta Dream coach Tanisha Wright, Dallas Wings coach Latricia Trammel and Washington Mystics coach Eric Thibault were all let go in October, after three seasons for Wright and two for Trammel and Thibault.

Why there’s mutual interest between White and the Fever

It almost makes too much sense for the Fever to pursue White from a narrative standpoint: The Sun coach grew up in Indiana and signed her National Letter of Intent with then-coach Lin Dunn, now a senior advisor in the Fever front office, to play at Purdue from 1995-99. She led Purdue to an NCAA championship in her senior season under legendary coach Carolyn Peck. White was drafted by the Charlotte Sting in 1999 but played only a single season there before she was traded to the Fever, and she spent the rest of her career with the franchise from 2000-04.

Indiana also gave White her first head coaching job in the WNBA in 2015, replacing Dunn after seven seasons as Fever head coach. White began her pro coaching career as an assistant with the Chicago Sky from 2007-2010, then joined Dunn’s Indiana staff in 2011. She was a part of the Fever’s only WNBA championship in 2012 and led the team back to the Finals in her first season after taking over for Dunn. Her departure in 2016 was by choice, to return to the college ranks as the head coach at Vanderbilt.

The Fever hit a steep decline after White left, going seven consecutive seasons without making the playoffs until breaking through in 2024 as the No. 6 seed. Indiana has one of the most exciting young cores in the league led by 2024 Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark and 2023 Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston. Two-time All-Star Kelsey Mitchell also unlocked the best version of herself after the Olympic break averaging 23.4 points per game, and White’s experience could provide a necessary stabilizing force for the squad as it moves into a new era.

White’s read-heavy offensive system is also a good fit for Indiana’s personnel, but the biggest question is whether her defensive success in Connecticut can translate the same way. The Sun led the WNBA in defensive rating and points allowed in 2024 anchored by two All-Defensive team selections including DiJonai Carrington, the only first-team guard and the league’s Most Improved Player. Boston was a two-time Naismith Defensive Player of the Year in college, but White’s backcourt in Indiana won’t possess the same two-way skillset as the Sun’s.

UConn’s Geno Auriemma says women’s college hoops now ‘responsible’ for continuing WNBA’s momentum

How White’s departure impacts the Sun

Connecticut was already in a precarious position entering 2025 with five players set to become unrestricted free agents including all of its ‘Big Three’. Superstar forward Alyssa Thomas is eligible to receive a core designation that could lock her in to a one-year supermax deal with the Sun, but All-Stars Brionna Jones and DeWanna Bonner have already played the maximum two seasons under the core tag and will hit the open market no matter what when free agency opens in January. Carrington is also a restricted free agent this year, and with White gone, Connecticut’s chances of keeping any of its stars fall significantly.

Thomas and Bonner will enter their 12th and 16th seasons in the WNBA respectively next year, so neither is looking to be the centerpiece of a rebuild at this stage in their careers. Bonner plans to play in 2025 at age 38, and she and Thomas both pointed out during their exit interviews that Connecticut doesn’t have the kind of facilities and resources for veteran players that other franchises are now beginning to provide.

“It’s just where the league is going. Especially when you get older and your body is a little bit more worn down, of course that’s important,” Bonner said. “I’m pretty sure the Sun, in the future will talk about that, and hopefully we can get that here. At the same time, it’s not something that is needed to play good basketball clearly, because that’s what we did (this season). We still didn’t win the championship and things like that, and of course it helps you get over the hump. You can stay in market a lot more and train, and you can work on your game, because a lot of people don’t want to go overseas anymore and that’s including myself.”

White’s system was also part of the reason sharpshooter Marina Mabrey requested a trade from the Chicago Sky to Connecticut in 2024, and the standout guard has struggled with coaching changes before: She felt Chicago’s system no longer suited her after Weatherspoon was hired to replace James Wade. Mabrey was a critical spark for the Sun after the Olympic break, and she spoke often about how much she enjoyed playing with experienced stars around her. Starting point guard Tyasha Harris was also traded from the Dallas Wings to the Sun in White’s first season, and while she and Mabrey remain under contract in 2025, both are set to hit unrestricted free agency in 2026.

Top takeaways from Connecticut Sun exit interviews: DeWanna Bonner to return to WNBA in 2025

Who could replace White in Connecticut?

Connecticut will face a major challenge filling White’s position with five other openings in bigger markets, and the job becomes even less attractive if its veteran core breaks up. But fortunately for the Sun, one of the top up-and-coming coaches in the league is already in their building. Assistant coach Briann January was an architect of the Connecticut defense that led the WNBA in 2024, and she also played for Connecticut from 2021-22. The main concern with January is her lack of experience: She only retired from playing in 2022 and began her WNBA coaching career on White’s staff in 2023.

“She’s gonna be a head coach in this league,” White said of January back in May. “She’s seasoned. She understands. She’s a really good communicator. She’s got a great feel and good instincts, and I think for her, it’s just growing in confidence of putting game plans together, of understanding times when to when to adjust and when to change and really owning that, and she has been.”

The Sun were eliminated from the 2024 WNBA Playoffs by the Minnesota Lynx, and the team could look to their opponent’s bench for a slightly more veteran option. Minnesota assistant Rebekkah Brunson never played for Connecticut but compiled a legendary resume as a player from 2004-18: She won her first WNBA championship in 2005 with the now-defunct Sacramento Monarchs, then helped the Lynx to four titles from 2010-18. She was a seven-time All-Defensive team selection and a five-time All-Star.

Brunson has seen the Lynx through an impressive reconstruction since joining the staff in 2020. The franchise missed the playoffs in 2022 for the first time since 2010, and two years later came a play away from winning the WNBA championship in a thrilling five-game series against the New York Liberty. Brunson is a defensive-minded coach that fits with Connecticut’s identity and the ability to do less with more is a critical trait in the league’s smallest market.

Eric Thibault could also be an option for the Sun with his family’s strong ties to Connecticut. Mike Thibault, Eric’s father, was a two-time WNBA Coach of the Year with the Sun from 2003-12, and younger sister Carly Thibault-DuDonis still lives in the state as the head women’s basketball coach at Fairfield. Eric had an underwhelming tenure with the Mystics going 33-47 over two years, but he was handed a less-than-ideal situation after superstar Elena Delle Donne missed 17 games in 2023 with a series of ankle injuries then opted to sit out the 2024 season. The team spent the beginning of this year plagued by injuries but managed to get within a single win of qualifying for the eighth-place playoff spot after starting 0-12.

Recently-fired Sparks coach Curt Miller is a familiar name to Sun fans, but a reunion in Connecticut seems highly unlikely. Miller coached the Sun to two WNBA Finals runs in six consecutive playoff appearances from 2016-22, but he left for L.A. in 2023 looking to start fresh with a developing young franchise. It’s hard to see any appeal for Miller to return to a far more unstable Sun team two years after he walked away from the roster that then included 2019 MVP Jonquel Jones alongside the All-Star trio Thomas, Bonner and Jones.