UNCASVILLE, Conn. (April 13, 2009) — Connecticut Sun point guard Jamie Carey announced her retirement Monday.

“It’s a hard decision any time you come to that crossroad, but it’s a decision that had to be made,” Carey said. “I’m just very appreciative of the opportunity I had in Connecticut, and at the same time, I’m thankful I was able to start and end my professional career in the same place. It doesn’t happen very often. I’m just very appreciative of the organization, and everything everyone did for me the last four years.”

Signed as a free agent in 2005, the 5-foot-6 Carey was a dependable backup to Lindsay Whalen who played in 105 regular season games with three starts. An excellent three-point shooter, Carey shot a league-best .451 percent from beyond the arc in 2007, and was sixth on the all-time franchise list for made threes with 84.

“Jamie has been a huge contributor to our team the last several years,” Sun coach Mike Thibault said. “I understand her decision, but we will miss her leadership, her competitiveness and her three-point shooting. She’s been a great teammate and a great player to coach. She’s been one of my favorite players to coach here. As a point guard and a coach, she understood what I was looking for as much as anybody.”

Carey works for Triple Crown Sports, a sports event marketing firm, and she recently completed her first season as the head coach of the Legacy High School girls’ basketball team in Broomfield, Colo.