The W Genesis: The Move to Connecticut: Finals Runs
The Orlando Miracle was a new team that made noise during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Their playoff run to bring in the new century was astounding as the team brought life to the city. However, all good things must come to an end. After the 2002 WNBA season, the Miracle relocated up north to officially become the Connecticut Sun.
Moving to Connecticut sparked a new beginning for the franchise. For one, they completely rebranded from Miracle Blue to Sun Orange. Second, this was the chance to start fresh. The Sun weren’t satisfied with only one playoff appearance during their tenure in Orlando. Therefore, the front office worked diligently to turn the franchise into a title contender.
The Sun kept its core group together. The combination of Nykesha Sales, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Shannon Johnson, Katie Douglas, and others. However, a coaching change took place as the Sun parted ways with Dee Brown after one season and hired Mike Thibault. Thibault was a coach who was prepared for this opportunity. As his success as a head coach dates back to the 1980s, his experience was needed for the Sun to get over the hump.
Year One: Building
Year one in Connecticut was an experiment for the Sun. They were in a new environment and wanted to prove themselves in front of their new fans. Truth be told, the Sun exceeded expectations as they finished the regular season with an 18–16 record, ranking top five in points per game. While the Sun advanced to the playoffs for the second time in its franchise history, they fell short of a trip to the Finals as they were swept by the Detroit Shock.
It was an improved season for the Sun as they finished their first season in Connecticut. However, the team knew they weren’t satisfied. The Sun understood that when they played at their best they could be a title contender. The question was how they could prove themselves to the rest of the league? The answer was to find consistency. It took time for the Sun to find just that within the team. But once they did they were a dangerous threat to the rest of the league.
Year Two: First Finals
Consistency was what Connecticut wanted to have during the 2004 season. At this point, there was no excuse. The core group was still together and had more chemistry than many teams in the WNBA. Also, the Sun drafted an elite point guard named Lindsay Whalen from the University of Minnesota. With a young Whalen alongside the Sun’s veterans, the team wanted to hit the ground running and become one of the best in the WNBA.
Unfortunately, a slow start happened as the Sun lost their first two games. It’s safe to say the team was not in sync yet. Miscommunication on defense as well as poor quality offense played a role in the Sun’s slow start. Luckily, there was still enough time to turn things around. After losing two straight, the Sun won three in a row and built momentum on their side.
Once again, the Sun failed to show consistency throughout the regular season. At one point, they would go on a five-game winning streak while also turning around and losing four straight. Luckily, the Sun found a way to squeeze into the playoffs after finishing with an 18–16 record again. Sure, the Sun knew they had a chance to compete for a WNBA championship. However, nobody else did.
The legendary Jay-Z had a line where he said “We don’t believe you, you need more people,” With that being said, the Sun went into the 2004 Playoffs hungry for success. They had to put the ups and downs of the regular season behind them and find a way to play at their best moving forward.
The Sun showed they were all business during the playoffs. Although they lost game one on the road against the Washington Mystics, the team bounced back and stole the last two games on their home floor. The momentum would continue as the Sun swept the New York Liberty to clinch their spot in the WNBA Finals. Many fans considered the Sun’s run a Cinderella story. However, this team knew what they were made of and finally put everything together.
Two more wins were all the Connecticut Sun needed to finish the job. Would it be easy? Of course not. However, the Sun showed how to respond when they were battle-tested all postseason. On the other side of the Finals was the Seattle Storm, a team that was also in search of its first title led by Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird. As both teams went into the Finals inexperienced, the series would come down to who could step up and make big plays.
The Sun took care of business on their home floor in game one, defeating the Storm 68–64 to take a 1–0 series lead. While the game was a back-and-forth affair throughout the first half, Connecticut’s defense elevated as they later took a double-digit lead. The only issue is how the Sun took their foot off the gas and allowed the Storm to climb back into the game. Making a comeback sparked confidence in Seattle. Despite losing the game, they knew that things would later work in their favor.
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Connecticut needed one more win to seal the deal. Coach Thibault made sure his team was aware of that as they prepared to play in front of an electric Seattle crowd. The Sun believed they had the Storm figured out. They held Seattle to 35 percent shooting while limiting Jackson and Bird to lead the way. With the way Connecticut won game one, one would say they proved to be the superior team. However, what they weren’t prepared for was an Unsung Hero that would lead the way for the Storm.
That Unsung Hero for Seattle was Betty Lennox. Connecticut has no answer for her as she continued to torch them as a scorer and playmaker. As Lennox was the difference maker of the series, it allowed the Storm to bounce back and win games two and three, securing their first championship in franchise history.
The loss in the Finals stung for the Connecticut Sun. They were devastated to fall short after winning the first game of the series. Unfortunately, all the Sun could do was move forward. They had to take the experience of the Finals loss and carry it over to become a better version of themselves in 2005.
2005: A Season of Redemption?
The best lessons come from experience. When you’re a team that has to feel the pain of falling short of a championship, it forces you to return stronger than before. The Connecticut Sun were on a mission for redemption heading into the 2005 season. From the first day of Training Camp, the energy in the locker room was different. The Sun approached the new year with a sense of urgency and hunger to finish the season on top.
Starting the regular season with an 8–1 record is just what the Sun wanted. Although they dropped their first game against the Shock, the team bounced back and began to look like the best team in the WNBA. One of those wins during the Sun’s winning streak was against their rivals Seattle Storm. The WNBA knew chaos would take place by scheduling these two teams early in the year. There was one word that the Sun had on their minds: revenge. The feeling of losing in the Finals fueled them to take control of this contest and run away with the win.
Katie Douglas led the way with 20 points followed by Taj McWilliams-Franklin with 19 and Nykesha Sales with 15. Overall, the Sun shot 52 percent from the field and had 22 assists which led to the win. Also, can’t ignore Connecticut’s defensive presence as well, holding the Storm to 37 percent shooting and finding ways to slow down the role players. Although it was still early in the season, this win was a confidence booster for the Sun as they continued their journey to redemption.
The season continued and the Sun established themselves as the best team in the WNBA. They were efficient on both ends of the floor and found a way to come out on top in games. The biggest key to the Sun’s regular season was “consistency”, which was something they struggled to find over the years. Over time, fans and insiders were convinced this team could win a championship. As they finished the season with a 26–8 record, they were officially the best team in the league and were ready to accomplish what they should have a year earlier.
It was all business for the Sun heading into the 2005 WNBA Playoffs. They showed that as they swept through the first two rounds against the Shock and the Indiana Fever. Getting past both teams proved that they were in a better position to win a title. The East was a tough conference that featured multiple teams capable of winning a title. Fighting through both series placed the Sun back in the WNBA Finals for the second straight season.
This time, the Sun had to face the Sacramento Monarchs. This was a veteran-savvy team that had great production from all of their players. The Monarchs were led by the likes of Yolanda Griffith and Ticha Penichiero, alongside key players like DeMya Walker, Rebekkah Brunson, and others. This series would come down to which team can find a way to stay consistent. As long as the Sun practiced what they preached, they would be in a great position to win the series.
Game one was won by Sacramento. They came into the series ready to compete and did so on both ends. Luckily, the Sun didn’t hold their head down after the loss. They found a way to bounce back in game two in overtime led by McWilliams-Franklin who exploded for 24 points and 16 rebounds. It was an impressive win for the Sun as they shot 42 percent from the floor and had 10 steals. However, the momentum of the series began to reside on Sacramento’s side. The next two games would be interesting as the Sun had a chance to head out west and finish the mission.
You would think that the Sun had the advantage in this series. Considering this was the same team that was in the Finals the previous year, experience was on their side. However, it takes more than experience to finish the season on top. The Monarchs found a way to utilize all of their weapons. When Connecticut had momentum on their side, they found a way to overcome adversity and finish on top. The Monarchs’ late-game execution was what allowed them to finish the series in game four, winning their first and only title in franchise history.
Once again, the Sun was on the losing side of the Finals. It was another gut-wrenching result as this team believed they had all of the pieces and the mentality to win a title. Unfortunately, the Sun was never able to win a title in the 2000s. Also, the team began to make various changes to the team after the 2006 season.
Conclusion
Despite never winning a title, the Connecticut Sun deserve their flowers. Their transition after leaving Orlando to become a title contender was impressive. The front office understood the pieces they had and made sure to put them in position to compete. Therefore, the Sun should still be recognized as one of the exciting teams to watch in the WNBA during the 2000s.
