It just hasn’t been the Connecticut Suns’ year this offseason. They started out with a completely void starting lineup from the previous campaign. Then the management was hit with the sale and relocation possibility for the franchise. A team that had made six consecutive playoffs was reduced to having no hopes for 2025. But the Suns have managed to curb the gloom with worthy additions– Aneesah Morrow and Tina Charles. There may be dark clouds, but the franchise icon is keeping the spirits up– either through optimism, a defining win, or through pieces of advice.

Charles started her career with the Sun as the first overall in 2010. Making her mark, she’d earn the Rookie of the Year honor then as the league MVP two years in. So when the franchise signed her on a one-year contract this off-season, the GM was beaming with pride. “Tina not only helped define the success of this franchise during her early years, but she also set the bar for excellence, both on and off the court,” Morgan Tuck had said. And she is letting them know it wasn’t a misstep.

15 years into her career, Charles led the way for the Sun in their preseason 94-86 win over the defending champions, New York Liberty. She’d put up 17 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals to drown any early doubts. But really her first order of business? Helping the rookies settle in. In this case, Aneesah Morrow.

“She just told me to be myself.” That’s the first learning the LSU Tigress had from Charles, as reported by Meghan L. Hall of USA Today.

The 6-foot-1 forward, drafted 7th overall by the Sun, was a walking double-double at LSU. She would also be named the NCAA rebounding leader twice in her 4-year collegiate run. However, she had to miss the preseason games as a precautionary measure due to injury concerns surrounding her knee. That’s a missed opportunity for the rookie to have gotten an early taste of the league before the competition sets in a few days from now. However, count on Charles, the roster, and the HC, Rachid Meziane, who is aiming for the “next level,” to help her through. 

But through it all, they are going to need to hold tight, because the Mohegan Tribe is looking for capital investments, and the change in ownership is in talks. Here, too, the veteran center is remaining composed. “I think the team’s reaction was naturally, ‘What is going on? ‘ … but you trust your organization will put the team in the best position possible.” No far-fetched belief there. 

The Athletic reports that a Mohegan Tribe spokesperson has conveyed the management’s interest in bettering the facilities for its team. “Infrastructure improvements are being looked at to ensure the team’s growth and success in the league,” the report reads.

While the front office worries about that, Meziane & Co. is ensuring everything in their capacity is running well on the court. This includes bringing in new talent. 

Former Connecticut Star Signs Contract with the Sun

As the Sun owners try to find a new buyer, the team is looking to reconnect with one of their former players. Hartley played for the UConn Huskies, where she won the national championships back to back in 2013 and 2014. She was previously signed with the Sun in 2022 on a rest of the season contract wherein she played 3 games before suffering a season ending ACL injury. 

Hartley has not played in the WNBA since. However, she recently signed a training camp contract with the Connecticut Sun, eyeing a comeback to the league. The 32-year-old shooting guard currently plays in the Turkish Super League for Galatasaray and believes that she still has a lot to offer to the league. She is determined not to let her previous injuries act as a setback to her career. 

The Sun will soon have to make tough roster cuts as they currently have 17 players in their lineup. Before the start of the regular season, this number will be trimmed down to 12. As Morrow and Charles prepare for the season opener, let us see how the Sun will play out their last possible season in Connecticut.