We're back, at least for now: It's been rough

 I am back. Kind of. For now, at least.

Sincere apologies to people who checked in here to see what was going on with the Connecticut Sun, and have seen nothing for the last couple of weeks.


Like pretty much everything in life, there are several reasons for my absence: I’ve had to deal with some personal stuff, some medical stuff, and some family stuff. But I can’t deny that it’s also been pretty darn depressing to follow the Sun this season. Obviously the record is frustrating and some of the games have been tough to watch, but if I look inside myself, it’s not really about that.


When it was announced the Sun was going to Houston, it hurt, but it wasn’t immediate. However, as every day goes by now, we’re one day closer to the end and, in a way, watching them makes me sad. I think there was part of me that was holding out hope for a miracle and everyone to magically reverse course and find a way for the Sun to stay.

The Hartford Civic Center (where tonight's game will be played) collapsed soon after
it was built in 1978 before being rebuilt. Fortunately, no one was injured.


That ain’t happening. The playoffs also ain’t happening this season, and as the Sun stumbled to a 2-15 start and my life was complicated, it became tougher to watch. 


But, as the schedule would dictate, Thursday is likely my swan song for the Sun, I have tickets to the game in Hartford against Dallas (a good entertainment option on a 100-degree day). There is a chance I can hit one more game at Mohegan Sun Arena, but the home schedule has not been kind to mine, and it’s a long ride from here in Vermont.


In a way, Thursday’s game will be a glimpse of what might have been. Realistically, Hartford is not a market that the 2026 WNBA would have a team in. It’s been so gratifying to watch the WNBA (and more specifically the players) get at least some of what they deserve. For those of us that have watched the league (or at least the Sun) from the beginning, we know that there were some rocky times, crappy television contracts, and franchises (looking at you Tulsa) that weren’t ready for primetime.


The Sun - despite some recent (somewhat deserved, especially when it comes to practice facilities and such) flack and ridicule - were never one of those. Mohegan Sun Arena isn’t the biggest and it wasn’t always sold out, but Sun fans were among the most passionate in the sport.


We have 27 games and about three months left with the Connecticut Sun, and they have won a couple in a row thanks to a tenacious defense we wish they would employ every night. They completely shut down a reasonably hot Washington squad in their last outing, and fascinatingly did so without Aneesah Morrow and Saniya Rivers, who appear to be healthy for Thursday’s contest.


Dallas should prove to be a stiffer test than Chicago or Washington, Paige Bueckers and crew lead the WNBA in turnover rate (one of the Sun’s biggest strengths, they are second in causing turnovers) and shredded the Sun last season at Mohegan Sun Arena.


But there is hope for the Sun, who actually aren’t last in net rating (Portland is), and - despite record - have been much more competitive night in and night out than they were in 2025. That is with several players - including Rivers, Morrow, Kennedy Burke, and Diamond Miller - having dreadful shooting years so far, so it stands to reason that (like last season), the second half of the campaign will be better than the first.


The relative youth of the team, plus having more ping pong balls than anyone else for the 2027 WNBA Draft mean that the franchise should be much better in the next couple of years, and are in a great position to sign free agents given their salary cap situation.


But that will be in Houston, of course. 


The last team I rooted for to leave Connecticut was the Hartford Whalers, who are now the Carolina Hurricanes. I originally followed the team after they moved, but could not get myself to do it, even when they eventually won the Stanley Cup (as they did again this season).


I hope the same won’t happen with the zombie Sun. However, only time will tell.


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