Season in Review: Connecticut Sun


As a part of a WNBA.com offseason series, we’ll be taking a look at the seasons of all 12 teams in the league and touching on some of the top reasons to look forward to their 2016 WNBA campaigns.

The Connecticut Sun stormed out of the gates in 2015 and looked to be one of the more improved teams (13 wins in 2014) in the league. Then-head coach Anne Donovan had her young team playing well without the services of 2014 Rookie of the Year Chiney Ogwumike for the year (ACL injury).

A 7-1 start had the Sun atop the Eastern Conference standings thanks to the play of guard Alex Bentley and forward Kelsey Bone. Donovan attributed the hot start to the work done in training camp, which allowed her squad to develop a chemistry and confidence playing without Ogwumike.

Bentley thrived playing primarily as a two-guard after previously featuring as a point guard. She averaged a career-best 14.7 points per game and forayed that into her first All-Star nod.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJrHxQJlbo4

But she wasn’t the only player on the team that had a career season. Kelsey Bone was also rewarded with her first All-Star nod for her play. She averaged 15.4 points per game –- up from 9.3 points per game in her second season. The league recognized her progression and named Bone the 2015 WNBA Most Improved Player of the Year.

Chelsea Gray missed the entire 2014 season with an injury, so the rookie got her first taste of WNBA action in 2015. She adjusted well and didn’t show any signs of being slowed by the past injury, playing in every game while averaging 6.9 points from the floor.

For all the growth the players made throughout the season, the Sun eventually dimmed. After the 7-1 start, Connecticut fell to the Indiana Fever, which started a six-game skid that included a 20-point loss to the Chicago Sky.

But although they weren’t putting up wins, Donovan still had her team in most of those games. Their glaring issues were evident at the end of regulation. They struggled to close out games and a closely competitive conference caught up with them. Eventually, they found themselves trying to stay afloat.

By the All-Star break, they were 8-7 and playoff hopes still abounded. The woes continued, though, in the second half of the season. The offense, which was one of the best in the league pre-All-Star break, faltered and dipped in the rankings.

At season’s end, the Sun were last in the Eastern Conference and headed to the WNBA Draft Lottery.

Reasons To Look Forward To 2016

There’s reason to have hope if you’re a Connecticut Sun fan. The young stars like Bentley and Bone are only going to get better with more experience, and next season should see the return of Ogwumike.

And then there’s the lottery pick. While the Sun don’t appear poised to welcome consensus No. 1 pick Breanna Stewart (University of Connecticut) into the fold, there’s still sure to be a nice crop of talent at the top of the draft, and the Sun will have a chance to add to its youth with the No. 3 pick.