2019 WNBA Team Preview: Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun lost arguably their best player and only all-star, Chiney Ogwumike, in a trade with the Los Angeles Sparks (more on that later). But before you panic about how the Sun will fare after getting just a 2020 draft pick in return, remember that Connecticut finished second in the Eastern Conference and made the playoffs without Ogwumike in 2017.
While losing your starting center is never an ideal situation, the trade does answer some questions about the future of what was a very deep (maybe too deep) roster at the post position. The Sun have an excellent replacement for the starting spot in Jonquel Jones, who started every game, averaged a double-double and was named to the All-Star roster in 2017.
The roster juggling seemed to be a point of tension for the Sun last season. With that cleared up, in all likelihood, the 2019 Connecticut Sun will be led by Jones’ dominance in the post. In fact, she’s already garnered some preseason MVP nods.
2018 Recap (21–13 record)
The Sun finished the regular season with a record of 21–13, before falling to the Phoenix Mercury in the second round of the playoffs, after their first round bye.
Connecticut excelled on the glass, collecting a league high 1,254 rebounds last season. They particularly impressed on the offensive glass, where they collected nearly a third (31 percent) of their own misses. Ogwumike led the team in offensive boards, and averaged a team high 14.4 points. Point guard Jasmine Thomas followed closely behind, averaging 12.9 points per game and led the Sun in assists.
Projected 2019 Starting Five
The starting five is expected to look very similar to last year, with Jones replacing Ogwumike in the lineup.
Jonquel Jones- [2018 Stats: 11.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 55.0 FG%, 46.7 3P%]
When Ogwumike was injured in 2017, Jones shined in the starting center role, averaging 15.4 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. Jones is a rare player — a dominant center but also one of the league’s best three-point shooters — and the versatility of her game makes her one of the best players in the WNBA. Expect to see her rise back to superstar status for the Sun in the 2019 season.
Alyssa Thomas- [2018 Stats: 10.3 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 4.2 APG]
Thomas led the team in both minutes per game and rebounds per game last season. The 2017 all-star forward is a force on the glass, but also excels at distributing the ball for her teammates to score. Thomas adds a versatile set of skills at the four for the Sun.
Jasmine Thomas- [2018 Stats: 12.9 PPG, 4.8 APG, 1.9 AST/TO]
Thomas started all 34 games for the Sun last year. The point guard also leads the team in assists and is the top scorer among the Sun’s returning players.
Courtney Williams- [2018 Stats: 12.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 23 USG%]
Williams averaged 12.5 field goal attempts per game the last season, the most of any Sun player. She averages around 1.0 points per scoring attempt, but is especially potent when she gets hot (like her 27 point performance in the Sun’s playoff loss in 2018). She is also an impressive rebounder for a player who stands at just 5 feet 8 inches.
Shekinna Stricklen- [2018 Stats: 6.6 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 43 3P%]
Stricklen is the team’s most potent three point threat, averaging a team high four attempts in just 18 minutes per game in 2018. She knocks them down an impressive rate (43 percent), which ranked fifth in the league for players with at least 20 attempts last season.
Key Losses
Chiney Ogwumike was traded to the Sparks shortly before the Sun reported to training camp. Ogwumike started all 31 games that she player in last season, and led the team in scoring (14.4 PPG) and field goal percentage (60.3%).
Key Additions and the Bench
With the 9th pick in the first round of the 2019 WNBA draft the Sun selected Kristine Anigwe from California. At the time, I found Anigwe to be a puzzling draft pick for a team that already led the lead in rebounding and had so much depth at the post position. However, with the departure of Ogwumike the pick makes more sense. Anigwe ranked first in the country in both rebounds per game and defensive rebounding rate in her senior season, and will serve as an excellent option off the bench for the Sun.
Ogwumike’s departure may also make room for more bench minutes from the Sun’s other bigs. Morgan Tuck followed last season with a great performance with USA Basketball in the FIBA World Cup, and looks poised to see some more time on the floor in 2019. Additionally, Brionna Jones impressed in the off-season leading her team to a EuroCup title in the Russian professional league where she averaged 17.7 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.
Question to Address
Can the Sun make a deep playoff run this year?
For the past two years Connecticut has finished fourth overall in the regular season, but haven’t been able to advance beyond the second round. This Sun team is expected to finish in the upper half of the league again, but can they make a deeper run in the post season?
Outlook for 2019
The Sun should be a lock to make the playoffs this year, and I would also argue that they are a championship contender. With the injuries to the league’s stars that have accumulated in the preseason, a healthy Sun team has an opening to make a run. I predict that they’ll make a deeper playoff run than last year — and we may see Connecticut in the finals or even hoisting the trophy.
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