A Farewell Victory in Uncasville
The Connecticut Sun played their final game in Connecticut on Thursday night, defeating the Toronto Tempo 95-81 at Mohegan Sun Arena before a sellout crowd of 8,911. The win snapped a six-game losing streak. The franchise will move to Houston and be renamed the Comets starting next season. Longtime season ticket holders were honored as the Sun said goodbye to their home arena.[S1]
Aaliyah Edwards scored 14 first-half points to help the Sun take a 38-36 lead at halftime. Connecticut pulled away in the third quarter. Ashlon Jackson led the team with 18 points, Raegan Beers had 17 and Edwards finished with 16. Kiki Rice scored 28 points for Toronto. Both teams ended the season with 11-33 records and now await the WNBA Draft lottery.[S1]
Honoring the Past and Looking Ahead
Former UConn stars Nykesha Sales and Rebecca Lobo were the faces of the franchise when it moved from Orlando to Connecticut after the 2002 season. Sales, recently hired as an assistant coach at UConn, was among those recognized on Thursday. Team president Jen Rizzotti grabbed a microphone and thanked the crowd, saying the fans had been family for 24 years and had proved Connecticut deserves a WNBA team.[S1]
General manager Morgan Tuck, a former UConn and Sun player, said the legacy is a positive impact on many people and that while it might be an end in Connecticut, it is not an end to the team or its players. The Sun reached the WNBA Finals in their second season, losing to Seattle in a decisive Game 3 in 2004, and also fell short in the 2005 and 2022 Finals. The franchise lost its first home game to Los Angeles 82-73 on May 24, 2003, and earned its first win against the Houston Comets six days later. Mohegan Sun Arena hosted the WNBA All-Star Game four times between 2005 and 2015.[S1]
A Difficult Season and a Final Embrace
This has been a difficult final season for the Sun. Five of the 10 players who appeared on Thursday were rookies. The game ended with the five Sun players on the court embracing, and the rest of the team walked onto the court and raised their arms. Coach Rachid Meziane told her team that the time to say goodbye was after the game, adding that people will never forget the franchise or the name on the jersey.[S1]
