Connecticut Sun forward Aaliyah Edwards (8) dribbles the ball while guarded by Atlanta Dream center Brittney Griner (42) during a WNBA game between the Atlanta Dream and the Connecticut Sun on September 10, 2025, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.
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The Connecticut Sun will play one last season in the Nutmeg State this summer before it relocates to Houston in 2027.
The Sun’s “Sunset Season,” as the franchise is calling it, begins Sunday when the league’s annual training camp opens for all 15 teams ahead of the May 8 season opener.
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Connecticut will look mostly similar to last year’s roster with a few tweaks – including more young stars and a new veteran center with Houston ties. While the Sun are projected to again finish between the middle and lower thirds of the league standings, the ceiling is slightly higher this year thanks to new additions and growth in their young core.
In her second year in the front office, former UConn women’s basketball star and Sun general manager Morgan Tuck ran another college draft and free agency period. While the franchise remains in the WNBA’s smallest market with fewest resources, Tuck signed new, familiar faces in an effort to energize the fan base for one last summer.
Last year, in the Sun’s first year of its current rebuilding era, the franchise finished 11-33 and missed out on the WNBA Playoffs for the first time in eight years. Head coach Rachid Meziane is back for his second season and used his French roots to sign one of the college draft’s biggest international stars.
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Connecticut Sun head coach Rachid Meziane looks on during a WNBA game between the Atlanta Dream and the Connecticut Sun on September 10, 2025, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.
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Here’s a look at how the Sun built its roster ahead of the 2026 season:
Departures
The Sun entered the offseason with four of their starting five listed as free agents, including former Husky great Tina Charles. For years, the Sun has struggled to retain stars due to its remote location and lack of a practice facility (the only team in the league without one or plans to build one).
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To the surprise of many, Connecticut decided not to protect star shooting guard Marina Mabrey in the expansion draft, allowing the Toronto Tempo to draft the former Notre Dame star. The Sun also traded second-year forward Rayah Marshall (whom the Sun drafted in the second round of the 2025 draft) to Dallas in exchange for forward Diamond Miller.
During free agency, the Sun’s point guard Lindsay Allen signed with Dallas, while fellow free agents Charles and fellow former Husky Bria Hartley have yet to sign with teams.
Key returners
The Sun’s core four players remain on rookie contracts and stayed in Uncasville, including former Husky Aaliyah Edwards (whom the Sun traded with Washington for last season). Edwards and Saniya Rivers spent the offseason playing in Unrivaled, while Aneesah Morrow had a standout debut season in Athletes Unlimited and Leila Lacan played overseas, including being named a finalist for EuroLeague’s Rising Star award.
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Former Husky Olivia Nelson-Ododa committed to the Sun by signing a new multi-year deal. Connecticut also signed returning guard Migna Toure to a training camp contract (which doesn’t guarantee a spot on the opening day roster).
Additions
The Sun’s biggest needs in free agency and the college draft were veteran leadership, an experienced center, a point guard and more scoring production to make up for Charles and Mabrey.
In Brittney Griner, the Sun found the majority of those needs. Griner, a 6-foot-9 center, is a 10-time WNBA All-Star and helped lead the Phoenix Mercury to the 2014 WNBA Championship. Despite a down year in Atlanta last season, Griner is still a skilled rim protector, rebounder and consistent scorer. Off the court, her role as one of the league’s most well-liked, respected and friendly leaders will be a vital piece to the Sun’s locker room. Heading into her 13th year in the league, Griner averages 16.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.4 blocks 1.8 assists and 0.5 steals per game.
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Griner is also a notable signee because of her roots in Houston. The center is from Houston and played under Kim Mulkey at Baylor, winning the 2012 NCAA Championship and being named a two-time National Player of the Year. When the Sun relocates next year to Texas, expect Griner to be the face of the franchise.
Connecticut also signed point guard and Boston native Shey Peddy to a training camp contract and wing Kennedy Burke to a one-year deal.
Peddy, 37, played in 15 games last season, splitting her time between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Indiana Fever and averaging 5.1 points, 2.1 assists, 1.7 rebounds and 0.4 steals in 17.7 minutes per game. UConn assistant coach Tonya Cardoza coached Peddy during her college career at Temple.
Burke played the last two seasons in New York, starting nine games last season and helping the franchise win the 2024 WNBA title. Last year, she averaged career-bests in 8.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in a career-high 21.6 minutes per game. Burke, 29, is a big, steady wing who appears ready to take the next step in becoming a go-to leader with a bigger responsibility.
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The Sun also made important additions in Monday’s college draft, selecting two national champions in UCLA stars Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker, French forward Nell Angloma and trading Serah Williams to Portland in exchange for TCU guard Taylor Bigby. Kneepkens, Leger-Walker and Bigby will provide depth in the backcourt, with Leger-Walker also providing help in the point guard position.
On Wednesday, the Sun announced they also signed Madison Hayes, Harmoni Turner and Raegan Beers. Beers went undrafted in Monday’s college draft despite her success and Oklahoma the past three years. Both Hayes (Connecticut) and Turner (Las Vegas) participated in training camps last year, but were cut before opening day.