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62-633: The team was established as the Orlando Miracle in 1999 , during the league's expansion from ten to twelve teams, as a sister team to the NBA 's Orlando Magic . In 2003, as financial strains left the team on the brink of disbanding, the Mohegan Indian tribe purchased and relocated the team to Mohegan Sun , becoming the first Native American tribe to own a professional sports franchise. The team's name comes from its affiliation with Mohegan Sun and its logo

124-695: A free agency approach – making small waves to pry Thompson and Cash from their respective teams and then getting forward Mistie Mims The team had won 13 of their first 17 games before finishing 25-9 to finish 1st in the Eastern Conference. The Sun fended off the Liberty in two close semifinal games to face the Indiana Fever in what was the team's first Conference finals since 2010 . They won Game 1 76–64 in Connecticut to find themselves one win away from

186-756: A 2-year deal with a third-year option. She had another productive season averaging 13.1 ppg and was voted into the WNBA all-star game for the fifth time in her career. Despite her stats, the Sun finished last place in the Eastern Conference. On May 1, 2015, Douglas announced her retirement after 14 seasons in the WNBA . Among the WNBA all-time leaders, Douglas ranks 16th in regular season scoring, 6th in regular season 3-pointers made, 5th in regular season steals, 10th in playoff scoring, 4th in playoff 3-pointers made and 4th in playoff steals. From her second year to her thirteenth year in

248-573: 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. During the 2007–08 offseason, 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 to the Indiana Fever . In return,

310-609: A bye to the Semifinals. In the best-of-five round, they won in a three-game sweep over the Los Angeles Sparks to meet the Washington Mystics , now coached by former Sun Mike Thibault . In the first WNBA Finals in Connecticut in 14 years, with the #1 Mystics having home-court advantage. The teams split the first two games before Washington won Game 3 94–81. A sixteen-point halftime lead for the Sun in Game 4 proved important when

372-615: A career-high 17.6 ppg. Douglas would be voted into the 2009 WNBA All-Star Game . The Fever would make it to the finals that year, but lost 3–2 to the Phoenix Mercury . A few seasons later, Douglas would win her first WNBA Championship with the Indiana Fever in 2012 as they had beat the Minnesota Lynx 3–1. It was her fourth career WNBA Finals appearance, although she was sidelined for the series after sustaining an ankle injury during

434-460: A coaching veteran with two NBA titles as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers , as the first head coach for the franchise. 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

496-496: A franchise-record 7 three-pointers. Douglas wouldn't see much playing time in the 2013 season, missing a huge bulk of the season due to a lower back injury and playing a total of only 4 games. The injury would also cause her to miss the playoffs. This season would be Douglas's last season with the Fever as she became an unrestricted free agent. On March 24, 2014, Douglas returned to the Connecticut Sun in free agency, signing

558-527: A hard-fought three-game series, 2–1, to the Seattle Storm . In the 2005 offseason, the Sun acquired 7'2" (2.18 m) center Margo Dydek . With a dominant post presence, the 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

620-565: A row at one point, but they 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 New York Liberty won the decisive game three on the Sun's home floor and for the second straight year, the Sun failed to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. The 2009 WNBA All-Star Game was held on July 25 at 3:30 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena ,

682-645: Is located at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut . Despite the inclusion of “Connecticut” in the name, the team technically isn’t under the jurisdiction of the State of Connecticut as Native American tribes are sovereign entities and the Mohegan Sun Arena is located on the Mohegan reservation, though the team is still considered to be located in Connecticut. Mohegan Sun Arena is smaller than most other WNBA arenas, with

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744-649: Is reflective of a modern interpretation of an ancient Mohegan symbol. Capitalizing on the popularity of women's basketball in the state, as a result of the success of the UConn Huskies , the Sun held the distinction of being the only WNBA franchise not to share its market with an NBA team, until the relocation of the Seattle SuperSonics in 2008 left the Storm as an independent team in Seattle . The Sun have qualified for

806-502: The 2001 WNBA draft . She remained with the franchise even when the Miracle relocated to Uncasville, Connecticut , and was renamed the Connecticut Sun prior to the 2003 season. Before becoming an all-star in the league, Douglas earned some WNBA Finals experience early in her career while the Connecticut Sun were championship contenders in both the 2004 and 2005 seasons. The Sun made it to the finals in both seasons but would lose both times to

868-439: The 2003 season , the Sun finished with an 18–16 record, which clinched the first playoff berth since the franchise relocated. The Sun swept the second-seeded Sting in the first round of the playoffs, and before being swept by the Detroit Shock in the Eastern Conference Finals. Rebecca Lobo announced her retirement after seven seasons in the WNBA. The Sun returned Katie Douglas , Nykesha Sales and Taj McWilliams-Franklin ,

930-440: The 2005 WNBA Finals , the Sun were matched up against an equally dominant Sacramento Monarchs team while having to deal with injuries to Lindsay Whalen . Despite having home-court advantage, the Sun lost in four games in the first ever best-of-five format WNBA Finals. The success of the franchise was rewarded in 2005, when the Sun were selected to host the annual WNBA All-Star Game . Sun coach Mike Thibault served as coach for

992-685: The Chicago Sky in five games to reach the WNBA Finals for the second time in four seasons. Facing the #1 seed Las Vegas Aces , the Aces narrowly won Game 1 67–64 and then rolled to a 14-point win in Game 2. The Sun scored 105 points in Game 3 back home, but the Aces prevailed in Game 4 78–71 to win the championship. The Sun play in the Mohegan Sun Arena . Mohegan Sun is owned by the Mohegan tribe . The arena

1054-533: The Eastern Conference Finals . With a few seconds left in the final game of the series at home and the Fever with a comfortable lead, Douglas was subbed in while the crowd was giving a standing ovation. En route to her first championship, Douglas had another great year during the 2012 season, averaging 16.5 ppg. In a regular season game win against the Atlanta Dream , Douglas scored 29 points along with

1116-535: 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

1178-472: 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

1240-566: The Russian League and finished off her overseas career playing in Poland for WBC Wisła Kraków in the 2012-13 off-season. Douglas lost both her parents to cancer; her father in 1997 and her mother less than three years later in 2000. She was awarded the first-ever Jim V Foundation Comeback of the Year Award in 2001 for her perseverance after a string of tragic, personal losses. One week after

1302-588: The Seattle Storm and Sacramento Monarchs respectively. Following the 2005 WNBA season, Douglas had a breakout year in 2006, averaging 16.4 ppg and being voted as a WNBA all-star for the first time. Douglas was named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team and received the Most Valuable Player award in the 2006 WNBA All-Star Game . In 2007, Douglas ranked 5th in the league in steals (65), 7th in scoring (577), and 12th in assists (125). Douglas

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1364-539: The Spanish League . In the 2008-09 off-season, Douglas played for CSKA Moscow before the team folded the same year. Douglas played for Galatasaray of the Turkish League during the 2009-10 off-season with then Indiana Fever teammate Tamika Catchings. Douglas returned to Spain to play once again for Ros Casares Valencia in the 2010-11 off-season. In the 2011-12 off-season, Douglas played for Nadezhda Orenburg in

1426-571: The WNBA Playoffs in fifteen of their twenty-one seasons in Connecticut. Despite this, they are the oldest remaining franchise without a championship title. 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 . After the 2002 season ,

1488-513: The #1 overall seed. The 26 wins tied a franchise record and gave them a bye to the Semifinals. They met the Chicago Sky , who beat them as a #6 seed by winning in four games, which included a 101–95 Game 1 win in double overtime. In 2022, now with the 36-game schedule, the Sun went 25–11 to finish 3rd. They beat the Dallas Wings in the First Round to make the Semifinals, where they narrowly beat

1550-566: The 1999 and 2001 NCAA Women's Final Four All-Tournament Team. She shared Big Ten Conference Player of the Year honors in 2000 with Helen Darling , and in 2001 was the unanimous Big Ten Player of the Year and winner of the Silver Basketball from the Chicago Tribune . Douglas also received the 2001 Big Ten Conference Suzy Favor Award, which is given to the conference's female athlete of

1612-566: The 2005 WNBA Finals loss to the Sacramento Monarchs, Douglas married Vasilis Giapalakis in Athens, Greece . Giapalakis is a sports agent who represents male and female basketball players. Douglas, who played for a Lithuanian basketball team in the WNBA offseason, met Giapalakis when she was playing for a Greek club. The couple divorced a few years later. In July 2015, just a couple months after her retirement, Douglas married Fred Poe, who

1674-539: The 2016 fourth overall pick in Rachel Banham . In April 2016, the Sun traded Chelsea Gray to the Los Angeles Sparks along with two second round picks in the 2016 WNBA Draft and a 2017 first round pick for Jonquel Jones and the Sparks second round selection in the 2016 WNBA Draft. In the 2016 WNBA Draft, the Connecticut Sun selected Morgan Tuck with their third overall draft pick. After getting three wins in sixteen games on

1736-485: The 2016 season, the Sun moved Kelsey Bone to the Phoenix Mercury for Courtney Williams and a second round draft selection in the 2017 WNBA Draft. Closing out the 2016 WNBA Season the Sun would win eleven out of the remaining twenty games to finish with a record of 14–20, missing out on the postseason by three wins. In February 2017, the Sun would trade Camille Little to the Phoenix Mercury for Lynetta Kizer from

1798-465: The Connecticut Sun before resigning as the head coach in 2015. Curt Miller would be named head coach of the Connecticut Sun starting in 2016 . During this period, the Sun also hosted two more WNBA All-Star Games at Mohegan Sun Arena. Connecticut acted as host for the 2013 and 2015 contests. With Curt Miller at the helm, changes were made. Elizabeth Williams was sent to the Atlanta Dream for

1860-446: The East to reach their first postseason in five years. In the one-game Second Round, they lost to the Phoenix Mercury 88–83. Chiney returned to action in the 2018 WNBA Season while Stricklen resigned for another run with the Connecticut Sun. The 2019 team continued on the run from last year, as they finished with a 23–11 record to finish as the second best team in the league overall and earn

1922-545: The Eastern Conference, which lost 122-99 . 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. Mike Thibault received the WNBA Coach of the Year Award while 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. In

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1984-423: The Finals. However, the Fever struck back with a close victory in Game 2 that saw Shavonte Zellous hit a two-point jump shot with 0.5 seconds remaining to provide the winning points in a 78–76 loss. Back in Connecticut, the Fever got onto a hot start and the Sun (who missed their first thirteen shots from the 3-point line) never recovered. The Fever, who had never won a road elimination playoff game, won 87–71. After

2046-423: The Indiana Fever and eighth overall draft selection Brionna Jones in the 2017 WNBA Draft from a three team trade. Ahead of the 2017 WNBA Season, Chiney Ogwumike was suspended due to an injury she suffered overseas causing her to miss the 2017 WNBA Season. By the halfway point of the season, they were 10–7. By the end of the season, they had won 21 games with 13 losses to narrowly finish one game out of 1st place in

2108-539: The Indiana Fever in 2012 . In 2023, she was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame . After attending Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis, Douglas attended Purdue University and graduated in 2001 as a communications major. She helped lead Purdue to an NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship in 1999 and was a two-time Kodak All-America in 2000 and 2001, as well as being named to

2170-495: The Sun Renee Montgomery . Thibault continued to reshape his roster after introducing Kara Lawson at a press conference as a new member of the Sun. Lawson, along with Montgomery was meant to shape a formidable backcourt, which would go with their plans in signing reserves Anete Jēkabsone-Žogota and Tan White . The Sun came into the 2010 WNBA draft with two picks in the first round – the first and seventh overall picks,

2232-403: The Sun received Tamika Whitmore . Following the 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 a lineup with three new starters, the Sun started the season by winning eight of their first nine games. The team did slow in progression by losing five games in

2294-441: The Sun television rights are held by NBC Sports Boston . Select games air instead on sister station NECN . Until 2023, Sun games aired on NESN . Previously, Connecticut Sun games also aired on WCTX (MyTV 9), a local television station for the state of Connecticut . It was the second time WCTX had aired Sun matches. They were also the original home of Sun matches prior to the 2010 season . More often than not, NBA TV picked up

2356-512: The WNBA, Douglas played overseas every off-season. Douglas went to Greece to play for Ano Liosia Basketball in the 2002-03 off-season. Douglas played in Greece once again for S.U. Glyfada Esperides Kyklos the following off-season. From 2004 to 2007, Douglas played three off-seasons in Lithuania for Lietuvos telekomas / TEO Vilnius . In the 2007-08 off-season, Douglas played for Ros Casares Valencia of

2418-849: The Year WNBA Coach of the Year WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year WNBA All–Defensive First Team WNBA All–Defensive Second Team WNBA Rookie of the Year WNBA All–Rookie Team Kim Perrot Sportsmanship WNBA Peak Performers 1999 WNBA season The 1999 WNBA Season was the Women's National Basketball Association 's third season. The 1999 season saw two expansion teams join

2480-508: The attempted comeback of the Mystics came short in a 90–86 decision. In Game 5, the Sun led by two points going into the final quarter. However, the Mystics overpowered them with 27 fourth quarter points to the 14 of the Sun to win 89–78 for the championship. The 2020 season was meant to have a new record of games played with 36. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the WNBA to announce a change to

2542-438: 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. He then nabbed former Cornhusker Kelsey Griffin , who

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2604-420: The feed from the local broadcast, which are shown nationally. Broadcasters for the Sun games on WCTX consisted 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

2666-515: 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 . The Sun selected Lindsay Whalen amidst rumors they would trade her to

2728-539: The latter of which was acquired one day prior to the draft from the Tulsa Shock . 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. 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

2790-513: The league, the Minnesota Lynx and Orlando Miracle . The schedule was increased from 30 to 32 games per team. The season ended with the Houston Comets winning their third WNBA championship. Eastern Conference Western Conference Note: Teams with an "X" clinched playoff spots. Katie Douglas (basketball) Kathryn Elizabeth Douglas (born May 7, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player. Her primary position

2852-572: The maximum capacity (lower and upper levels) for a basketball game being 9,323. The Sun is the only top-level professional sports franchises located in the state of Connecticut. The New England Black Wolves of the National Lacrosse League formerly shared the Mohegan Sun Arena with the Sun until their relocation in 2020. The Mohegan Sun Arena is located in the center of the mall area of the Mohegan Sun Casino . Currently,

2914-563: The off-season, 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 . In a tough Eastern Conference, the Sun held a 9–5 record going into the All-Star break and finished 21-13 before losing in the Conference Semifinals. The 2012 offseason saw them try to build their team in small ways with

2976-700: 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 League Pass game feeds on the league website. Furthermore, some Sun games are broadcast nationally on CBS (locally via WFSB ), CBS Sports Network , Ion Television (locally via WHPX ), ESPN , ESPN2 and ABC (locally via WTNH ). WNBA Most Valuable Player All–WNBA First Team All–WNBA Second Team WNBA All–Star Game MVP WNBA Most Improved Player WNBA Sixth Woman of

3038-622: The plan that would instead see 22 games played without fans at IMG Academy in Florida. In a twelve-team league that would see eight teams make the playoffs, the Sun went 10–12 to make it as the seventh seed. They won the first two playoff games to reach the Semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces . They won two of the first three games to be on the verge of the WNBA Finals. However, they lost 75–84 and 63–66 to fall short. The 2021 team returned with 32 games played where they lost only six times to clinch

3100-419: The playoffs, averaging only 7.3 ppg. The Fever had gotten eliminated in the first round 2-1 by the Detroit Shock . In the 2009 season, Douglas would have the best season of her career, she had back-to-back 30+ point games, becoming the first player in franchise history to do so. She also scored a career high and franchise record, 34 points in a regular season game win against the Washington Mystics and averaged

3162-408: The playoffs, the Sun beat the Washington Mystics 76-61 in the first game and 68-65 in the second. But in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Sun lost to the Detroit Shock 1-3, where Connecticut hosted the last game. 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

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3224-453: The regular season at 18–16, 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 Fever raced back to force overtime. The game went into three overtimes, the first time it had happened in WNBA playoff history, ending with

3286-478: 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 off-season – selecting Debbie Black in the 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 ,

3348-452: The season, Tina Charles was named WNBA Most Valuable Player Award while Montgomery was named WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year Award . On November 20, Thibault (along with his two assistants) was fired with one year remaining on his contract; he had gone 206–134 in ten seasons as coach. 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

3410-410: The second time the Sun had hosted the game. It was broadcast nationally on ABC ( HD ). The 2009 season would prove to be a middling one for the team, which fought to stay around .500 the entire season. An injury to Asjha Jones did not help their chances, and the team ultimately finished 16–18, which was the same record as the Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky for fourth place, but Washington won

3472-477: The tiebreaker to advance. Connecticut started its rebuilding process by acquiring DeMya Walker in the dispersal draft of the Sacramento Monarchs , which was held on December 14, 2009. The Sun then snagged the first overall pick in the 2010 collegiate draft in a trade with the Minnesota Lynx ; a trade that saw Lindsay Whalen along with the second overall pick traded to Minneapolis . This package netted

3534-552: The year across all sports. Douglas played at Purdue for head coach Carolyn Peck . Source Douglas played on the team presenting the US at the 1999 World University Games held in Palma de Mallorca, Spain . The team had a 4–2 record and earned the silver medal. Douglas was the leading scorer on the USA team with 17.6 points per game. Douglas was selected the 10th overall pick by the Orlando Miracle in

3596-465: Was shooting guard , her secondary was small forward . She was known league-wide as one of the most prominent two-way players for her long-range shooting and high scoring abilities on offense as well as her defensive abilities. In the WNBA, she has been a multiple time WNBA All-Star and has been a selection to both the All-WNBA Team and WNBA All-Defensive First Team. She won WNBA Championship with

3658-422: Was again selected for the WNBA All-Defensive First Team. On February 19, 2008, the Connecticut Sun traded Douglas to her hometown team, the Indiana Fever for Tamika Whitmore and the Fever's first round pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft, she would play alongside superstar small forward Tamika Catchings . She would have a solid season in her first year with the team by averaging 15.6 ppg, but unexpectedly struggled in

3720-632: 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. With a new home in Uncasville and two former UConn Huskies on

3782-414: 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 . After the 2010 WNBA season (after going 17-17 and missing the playoffs), 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

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3844-410: Was the head coach of the 2004 Seattle Storm team that captured the league title over Connecticut. 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. During Anne Donovan 's run as head coach, she would go 38–64 in three seasons with

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