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Tina Charles, Alyssa Thomas headline ‘Sun Legends’ honored by Connecticut Sun in final season
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- Tina Charles, Alyssa Thomas headline ‘Sun Legends’ honored by Connecticut Sun in final season
The Connecticut Sun will cease to exist at the end of the 2026 WNBA season, but the franchise will immortalize six 'Sun Legends' in the rafters at Mohegan Sun Arena this year before it departs for Houston.
On May 14, the WNBA Board of Governors officially approved the Sun's sale to Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta and the franchise's relocation to Texas for the 2027 season. The Sun's move will resurrect one of the league's founding franchises, the Houston Comets, which folded in 2008. The Comets became the first and only team to win four straight WNBA championships from 1997-2000, and they still share the record for most league titles (4) with the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm .
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Though there is excitement for the Comets' return, it comes with the heartbreaking loss of a WNBA presence in New England and of the franchise's 23-year history in Connecticut. Recognizing the 'Sun Legends' is one of many initiatives planned during the team's 'Sunset Season' to pay homage to its legacy in the state and the league.
"As we prepare to close this extraordinary chapter of Connecticut Sun basketball, it's incredibly important that we take the time to honor the people who built this franchise and shaped its identity over the last two decades," Sun president Jen Rizzotti said in a release. "These players and coaches gave everything to this organization, to our fans, and to the state of Connecticut. Their impact goes far beyond wins and statistics. They created a standard of excellence, toughness, professionalism, and community that will always define the Connecticut Sun."
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The 2026 honorees will join existing Sun Legends Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Margo Dydek, Nykesha Sales, Katie Douglas, Lindsay Whalen, and Asjha Jones.
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The first honoree will be Jonquel Jones , one of two players ever to win WNBA MVP in a Sun jersey. Jones played in Connecticut from 2016-22 and holds the franchise record for career blocks while ranking fifth all-time in points, third in rebounds and third in double-doubles. The 2021 MVP also earned four All-Star nods, four All-WNBA honors the 2017 Most Improved Player Award and the 2018 Sixth Woman of the Year Award with the Sun. Her No. 35 jersey will go up in the rafters on June 8 when Connecticut hosts her New York Liberty .
The franchise will recognize both a former player and coach when it hosts the Dallas Wings on July 2 at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford. Curt Miller, currently general manager of the Wings, coached the Sun from 2016-22 and had a 140-86 record, taking the team to six consecutive appearances in the WNBA Playoffs. Miller was WNBA Coach of the Year in 2017 and '21 and took Connecticut to its second Finals appearance in franchise history in 2022. Jasmine Thomas , the Wings' assistant general manager, played for the Sun from 2015-22 and ranks second in franchise history in career assists and steals. Thomas was a 2017 All-Star and a three-time selection to the WNBA All-Defensive team.
UConn legend Tina Charles will be honored July 10 during the Sun's game against the Golden State Valkyries . Charles, who announced her retirement from the WNBA on May 5, was the first No. 1 draft pick in franchise history in 2010, and she became the first Sun player to win MVP in 2012. She played for the team from 2010-13 and in 2025, and she holds the franchise record for double-doubles while ranking third all-time in points, second in rebounds and a third in blocks. Charles was a two-time All-Star, four-time All-WNBA selection and two-time All-Defensive team member in Connecticut.
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Alyssa Thomas, arguably the greatest player in franchise history, will have her No. 25 jersey added to the rafters on Aug. 7 when her Phoenix Mercury come to Connecticut on Aug. 7. Thomas is the franchise's career leader in points, rebounds, assists and steals, also ranking second in double-doubles and sixth in blocks. She is the only Sun player ever to record a triple-double, doing so a WNBA-record 11 times in her career with the team from 2014-24. Thomas earned five All-Star honors, three All-WNBA nods and six All-Defensive team selections in Connecticut.
The team's final honoree will be Mike Thibault, who was hired as head coach in 2003 when the franchise relocated from Orland to Connecticut. Thibault had a 206-134 record with the team over 10 seasons, earning WNBA Coach of the Year in 2006 and '08. The Sun missed the playoffs just twice during Thibault's tenure and made their first WNBA Finals appearance in 2005. Thibault will be recognized during the Sun's homecoming game Sept. 20 against the Minnesota Lynx, where his son Eric is currently an assistant coach.
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