The 2025 Connecticut Sun season was the 27th season for the Connecticut Sun franchise of the Women's National Basketball Association and the first under head coach, Rachid Meziane.
After the loss of head coach Stephanie White and the entire 2024 starting lineup in the offseason, Marina Mabrey made a request to be traded. However, Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti informed the media that they did not intend to honor Mabrey's request and rather plan "to build around her, have her here, have her be the catalyst for what we want to do offensively."
The Sun is the first team in WNBA history to lose its entire starting lineup between the last playoff game of the previous season and the start of a new season. No NBA team has had the same happen since starters were first tracked in the 1970–71 season. The Sun returned only 11.4% of its scoring from 2024, little more than a third of the next-lowest total of 30.3% by the Phoenix Mercury.
On May 12, 2025, Sportico reported that the team's owners, the Mohegan Native American tribe, had hired investment bank Allen & Company to explore options for outside investment in the franchise. The report noted that the "expectation is a control sale and likely franchise relocation." Rizzotti confirmed the report the next day. ESPN journalist Alexa Philippou would later remark that "what happens with the organization could be a defining storyline for the league in 2025."
Draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College/Club Outcome Ref. 1 7Aneesah MorrowF LSU Signed rookie contract April 24Made opening day roster 1 8Saniya RiversGNC State Signed rookie contract April 21Made opening day roster 2 25Rayah MarshallF/CUSC Signed rookie contract April 17Made opening day roster
Transactions
Front office and coaching DateDetails Ref. November 6, 2024 Head coach, Stephanie White, left Sun organization December 3, 2024 Morgan Tuck hired as general manager Darius Taylor's role changed to Chief Basketball Strategist and Director of Scouting December 4, 2024 Hired Rachid Meziane as head coach January 10, 2025 Hired Roneeka Hodges as an assistant coach February 10, 2025 Hired Pascal Angillis and Ashlee McGee as assistant coaches March 12, 2025 Hired Chaz Franklin as Head of Player Development Hired Kevin Owens as Player Development Coach and Video Coordinator Hired Bak Sawi as Player Development Coach Hired Kristen Mann as Manager of Basketball Development Hired Kristina Beauchais as Manager of Basketball Operations Hired Shavonte Zellous as Basketball Development Intern May 16, 2025 Darius Taylor left Sun organization
Trades February (Four-team trade)To Connecticut SunRebecca Allen and Natasha Cloud (from Phoenix Mercury)Jacy Sheldon (from Dallas Wings)2025 No. 8 draft pick (from Indiana Fever)To Dallas WingsDiJonai Carrington and Tyasha Harris (from Connecticut Sun)NaLyssa Smith and right to swap third round picks in 2027 draft (from Indiana Fever)Rights to Mikiah Herbert Harrigan and the 2025 No. 12 pick (from Phoenix Mercury)To Indiana FeverSophie Cunningham and the 2025 No. 19 pick (from Phoenix Mercury)Jaelyn Brown (from Dallas Wings)To Phoenix MercuryAlyssa Thomas (from Connecticut Sun) Satou Sabally, Kalani Brown, and Sevgi Uzun (from Dallas Wings) To Connecticut SunLindsay AllenRights to Nikolina Milić To Chicago SkyRebecca Allen March To Connecticut Sun2025 No. 7 draft pick2026 first round draft pick To New York LibertyNatasha Cloud August August 7 To Connecticut SunAaliyah Edwards To Washington Mystics Jacy SheldonRight to swap 2026 first round picks
Free agency Core designation Player Date Notes Ref. Alyssa Thomas January 17 Traded to Phoenix Mercury on February 2
Re-signed / activations Player Date Notes Ref. Caitlin Bickle January 22 Training camp contract Leïla Lacan July 2 Set as active
Additions Player Date Notes Former Team Ref. Jacy Sheldon February 2 Rookie contract(2024 draft pick - No. 5) Dallas Wings Tina Charles February 2 One-year deal Atlanta Dream Diamond DeShields February 3 Chicago Sky Mya HollingshedFebruary 4Training camp contract Bodrum Basketbol Robyn Parks Emlak Konut Yvonne Anderson February 6 Two-year deal CBK Mersin Leïla Lacan February 8 Rookie contract(2024 draft pick – No. 10) Basket Landes Kariata Diaby February 13 Training camp contract Tango Bourges Basket Amy Okonkwo Abbey Hsu February 17 Rookie contract(2024 draft pick - No. 34) Columbia Lions Kamila Borkowska February 24 Training camp contract Zagłębie Sosnowiec Haley Peters Villeneuve-d'Ascq July 15 7-day contract Free agent July 22 July 29 August 5 Rest of season contract Rayah Marshall April 17 Rookie contract(2025 draft pick – No. 25) USC Trojans Madison Hayes April 21 Training camp contract NC State Wolfpack Morgan Maly Creighton Bluejays Saniya Rivers Rookie contract(2025 draft pick – No. 8) NC State Wolfpack Aneesah Morrow April 24 Rookie contract(2025 draft pick – No. 7) LSU Tigers Bria Hartley May 11 Training camp contract Athletes Unlimited Jaelyn Brown June 2 Rest of season contract Dallas Wings Mamignan Touré July 21 7-day contract Spar Girona July 28 August 4
Subtractions / unsigned Player Date Reason New Team Ref.Nikolina Milić — Free agency – reserved(qualifying offer extended) — Veronica Burton December 6 Expansion draft Golden State Valkyries Brionna Jones February 1 Free agency – uncoreable unrestricted Atlanta Dream DeWanna Bonner February 5 Indiana Fever Tiffany Mitchell February 8 Free agency – unrestricted Las Vegas Aces Astou Ndour-Fall April 9 Morgan Maly April 26 Waived — Mya Hollingshed April 28 — Abbey Hsu —Caitlin BickleMay 8—Kamila Borkowska—Madison HayesMay 14—Amy Okonkwo— Yvonne Anderson May 15—Diamond DeShields— Leïla Lacan Suspended contract – temporary N/A – retained rights Robyn Parks June 2 Waived — Kariata Diaby July 2 — Jaelyn Brown July 13— Haley Peters —
Roster
Depth chart Pos.StarterBench PG Lindsay Allen Saniya Rivers SG Bria Hartley Leïla LacanMamignan Touré SF Marina Mabrey Aneesah MorrowHaley Peters PF Olivia Nelson-Ododa Aaliyah Edwards Rayah Marshall C Tina Charles
Schedule Preseason
|- bgcolor=#fcc | 1 | May 4 | @ Seattle | L 59–79 | Tina Charles (13) | (4) | (3) | Climate Pledge Arena7,153 | 0–1 |- bgcolor=#bbffbb | 2 | May 9 | @ New York | W 94–86 | Tina Charles (17) | Olivia Nelson-Ododa (7) | Lindsay Allen (7) | Barclays Center8,395 | 1–1
Regular season
|- bgcolor=#fcc | 1 | May 18 | Washington | L 85–90 | Tina Charles (23) | Tina Charles (10) | Lindsay Allen (8) | Mohegan Sun Arena7,834 | 0–1 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 2 | May 20 | Las Vegas | L 62–87 | Tina Charles (20) | Rayah Marshall (6) | Bria Hartley (5) | Mohegan Sun Arena8,179 | 0–2
|- bgcolor=#fcc | 3 | May 23 | @ Minnesota | L 70–76 | Marina Mabrey (22) | Olivia Nelson-Ododa (10) | Marina Mabrey (6) | Target Center8,224 | 0–3 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 4 | May 25 | @ Atlanta | L 55–79 | Marina Mabrey (12) | Marina Mabrey (10) | Marina Mabrey (4) | Gateway Center Arena3,265 | 0–4 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 5 | May 27 | Dallas | L 87–109 | Tina Charles (27) | Tina Charles (6) | Jacy Sheldon (7) | Mohegan Sun Arena8,910 | 0–5 |- bgcolor=#cfc | 6 | May 30 | @ Indiana | W 85–83 | Marina Mabrey (26) | Olivia Nelson-Ododa (9) | Saniya Rivers (6) | Gainbridge Fieldhouse16,213 | 1–5
|- bgcolor=#fcc | bgcolor=#FED8B1| 7 | June 1 | @ New York | L 52–100 | Jacy Sheldon (10) | Olivia Nelson-Ododa (5) | Haley Peters (3) | Barclays Center17,415 | 1–6 |- bgcolor=#cfc | bgcolor=#FED8B1| 8 | June 6 | Atlanta | W 84–76 | Marina Mabrey (34) | Saniya Rivers (5) | Bria Hartley (6) | Mohegan Sun Arena8,078 | 2–6 |- bgcolor=#fcc | bgcolor=#FED8B1| 9 | June 8 | @ Washington | L 67–104 | Tina Charles (17) | Tina Charles (9) | Marina Mabrey (8) | CareFirst Arena4,200 | 2–7 |- bgcolor=#fcc | bgcolor=#FED8B1| 10 | June 15 | Chicago | L 66–78 | Marina Mabrey (22) | Olivia Nelson-Ododa (10) | Bria Hartley (5) | Mohegan Sun Arena8,451 | 2–8 |- bgcolor=#fcc | bgcolor=#FED8B1| 11 | June 17 | @ Indiana | L 71–88 | Tina Charles (20) | Mabrey, Nelson-Ododa (8) | Saniya Rivers (5) | Gainbridge Fieldhouse16,284 | 2–9 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 12 | June 18 | Phoenix | L 75–83 | Aneesah Morrow (16) | Olivia Nelson-Ododa (14) | Marina Mabrey (7) | Mohegan Sun Arena7,864 | 2–10 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 13 | June 20 | Dallas | L 83–86 | Tina Charles (26) | Aneesah Morrow (7) | Marina Mabrey (6) | Mohegan Sun Arena8,910 | 2–11 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 14 | June 22 | @ Golden State | L 63–87 | Aneesah Morrow (14) | Charles, Nelson-Ododa (6) | Hartley, Nelson-Ododa, Rivers (3) | Chase Center18,064 | 2–12 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 15 | June 25 | @ Las Vegas | L 59–85 | Tina Charles (18) | Morrow, Peters (6) | Lindsay Allen (4) | Michelob Ultra Arena10,432 | 2–13 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 16 | June 27 | @ Seattle | L 81–97 | Aneesah Morrow (20) | Aneesah Morrow (11) | Hartley, Rivers (6) | Climate Pledge Arena10,776 | 2–14 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 17 | June 29 | @ Minnesota | L 63–102 | Aneesah Morrow (16) | Aneesah Morrow (11) | Allen, Peters (3) | Target Center8,821 | 2–15
|- bgcolor=#fcc | 18 | July 6 | Las Vegas | L 68–86 | Aneesah Morrow (12) | Nelson-Ododa, Rivers (7) | Lindsay Allen (5) | Mohegan Sun Arena8,476 | 2–16 |- bgcolor=#bbffbb | 19 | July 9 | Seattle | W 93–83 | Tina Charles (29) | Tina Charles (11) | Saniya Rivers (7) | Mohegan Sun Arena7,984 | 3–16 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 20 | July 11 | @ Seattle | L 65–79 | Tina Charles (20) | Tina Charles (10) | Charles, Rivers (3) | Climate Pledge Arena9,569 | 3–17 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 21 | July 13 | @ Los Angeles | L 88–92 | Bria Hartley (25) | Charles, Morrow (7) | Bria Hartley (6) | Crypto.com Arena12,184 | 3–18 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 22 | July 15 | Indiana | L 77–85 | Tina Charles (21) | Aneesah Morrow (12) | Charles, Rivers, Sheldon (3) | TD Garden19,156 | 3–19 |- align=center |colspan=9 bgcolor="#bbcaff"|All-Star Game |- bgcolor=#fcc | 23 | July 24 | Los Angeles | L 86–101 | Tina Charles (24) | Tina Charles (10) | Leïla Lacan (6) | Mohegan Sun Arena7,375 | 3–20 |- bgcolor=#bbffbb | 24 | July 27 | Golden State | W 95–64 | Tina Charles (24) | Aneesah Morrow (11) | Allen, Mabrey (4) | Mohegan Sun Arena8,294 | 4–20 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 25 | July 28 | Seattle | L 85–101 | Bria Hartley (17) | Aneesah Morrow (7) | Hartley, Lacan (4) | Mohegan Sun Arena7,136 | 4–21
|- bgcolor=#bbffbb | 26 | August 1 | New York | W 78–62 | Marina Mabrey (18) | Aneesah Morrow (11) | Marina Mabrey (8) | Mohegan Sun Arena8,664 | 5–21 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 27 | August 3 | New York | L 78–87 | Tina Charles (17) | Aneesah Morrow (9) | Hartley, Rivers (4) | Mohegan Sun Arena8,747 | 5–22 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 28 | August 5 | @ Phoenix | L 66–82 | Marina Mabrey (18) | Tina Charles (7) | Bria Hartley (4) | PHX Arena8,083 | 5–23 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 29 | August 7 | @ Los Angeles | L 91–102 | Charles, Mabrey (19) | Charles, Mabrey, Morrow (7) | Leïla Lacan (7) | Crypto.com Arena10,780 | 5–24 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 30 | August 10 | @ Las Vegas | L 86–94 | Marina Mabrey (22) | Tina Charles (5) | Leïla Lacan (5) | Michelob Ultra Arena10,407 | 5–25 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 31 | August 11 | @ Golden State | L 57–74 | Aneesah Morrow (13) | Aneesah Morrow (14) | Hartley, Mabrey (4) | Chase Center18,604 | 5–26 |- bgcolor=#bbffbb | 32 | August 13 | Chicago | W 72–61 | Leïla Lacan (17) | Aneesah Morrow (9) | Saniya Rivers (6) | Mohegan Sun Arena6,848 | 6–26 |-bgcolor=#fcc | 33 | August 17 | Indiana | L 93–99 (OT) | Marina Mabrey (27) | Aneesah Morrow (11) | Leïla Lacan (14) | Mohegan Sun Arena8,910 | 6–27 |- bgcolor=#bbffbb | 34 | August 19 | @ Washington | W 80–69 | Saniya Rivers (17) | Charles, Nelson-Ododa (9) | Lacan, Nelson-Ododa (4) | CareFirst Arena4,200 | 7–27 |- bgcolor=#bbffbb | 35 | August 21 | Washington | W 67–56 | Tina Charles (21) | Aneesh Morrow (8) | Lacan, Mabrey (5) | Mohegan Sun Arena7,144 | 8–27 |- bgcolor=#bbffbb | 36 | August 23 | @ Chicago | W 94–84 | Charles, Hartley (23) | Tina Charles (10) | Marina Mabrey (8) | Wintrust Arena8,412 | 9–27 |- bgcolor=#fcc | 37 | August 25 | @ New York | L 79–81 | Leïla Lacan (22)