Only a few WNBA groups have a future as unpredictable because the Connecticut Solar, who entered the offseason with 5 unrestricted free brokers, together with Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, and Brionna Jones. The Solar have a brand new coach, a brand new basic supervisor, and solely three returning gamers underneath contract forward of subsequent season. It seems believable that the group will run it again with the identical core that’s made Connecticut one of many winningest franchises in latest historical past, nevertheless it additionally appears lifelike that the franchise will head in a special path.
SB Nation sat down with newly-appointed Solar basic supervisor Morgan Tuck to get a way of the place issues are heading into free company, which begins on January twenty first.
Connecticut Solar free company preview — a fast look:
Earlier than we dive into the dialog with Tuck, a fast refresher on the place the Solar stand as of late December.
Stephanie White departed the group to turn out to be the brand new coach of the Indiana Fever in October, and some weeks later, the group introduced the hiring of a famend French skilled basketball coach, Rachid Meziane. Meziane at the moment serves as head coach of Villeneuve-d’Ascq, a French membership that was the EuroLeague runner-up winners in every of the final two seasons. He additionally coached the Belgian women’s national team which got here in fourth place on the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Connecticut additionally has a brand new basic supervisor, Morgan Tuck, a former UConn star and Solar participant who has been within the entrance workplace for the previous few seasons. Tuck replaces Darius Taylor, who served because the group’s basic supervisor for 2 seasons. Taylor will now lead scouting for Connecticut.
On the free company entrance, the group might be primed for vital change: Connecticut has 5 free brokers: Alyssa Thomas, Brionna Jones, DeWanna Bonner, Tiffany Mitchell, and Astou Ndour-Fall. As well as, DiJonai Carrington, final yr’s Most Improved Participant, is a restricted free agent. Caitlin Bickle, who wasn’t within the rotation, is the group’s solely reserved participant, that means that she will be able to solely negotiate with the Solar except she is launched.
Photograph by Angelina Katsanis/Getty Pictures
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Again-up level guard Veronica Burton, left unprotected within the Valkyrie’s expansion draft, is headed to Golden State.
So, the group’s solely particular returners (barring a commerce) are Marina Mabrey, Ty Harris, and Olivia Nelson-Ododa. Mabrey, acquired midseason from the Sky final season, was glorious in Connecticut, averaging 14.9 factors and taking pictures 42.4% from three in 16 video games for the Solar. Harris took an amazing leap in her first season as a full-time starter, averaging 10.5 factors in 28.8 minutes per sport. And, in her third season as a professional, Nelson-Ododa established herself as a serviceable backup submit participant.
However, Thomas, Bonner, and Jones have been the group’s huge three, and whether or not or not they’ll re-sign with Connecticut stays to be seen. If Connecticut does run it again with its core, it’ll seemingly be within the combine for an additional yr of championship competition. If the veterans stroll, the franchise could need to retool round new, youthful expertise.
What Morgan Tuck needed to say in regards to the upcoming free company
The Solar’s new basic supervisor joined SB Nation for a dialog concerning the hiring of Rachid Meziane and the upcoming free company interval. The next has been frivolously edited for brevity and readability.
Dalzell: What went into the choice to rent Rachid Meziane as head coach?
Tuck: We approached the hiring course of very open-minded on what coach we have been going to get. We have been similar to, ‘All proper, let’s see who we really feel is the very best coach, but additionally the very best match for Connecticut and our group.’
All of his teaching expertise abroad was very intriguing as nicely. You’re seeing increasingly more worldwide gamers coming into our league, and enjoying, and being actually profitable. It all the time helps when you’ve got somebody who’s deeply rooted and linked over there. However total, it simply felt like he was the very best match. He’s perhaps just a little little bit of a special choose than what most individuals would suppose or go along with. However, we felt actually assured in his skills and who he’s as an individual. We really feel like he can lead us in the proper path.
Dalzell: Meziane is just not somebody who has been within the WNBA circuit. On a private stage, what’s he like?
He’s such a pleasant man — simply tremendous laid again and chill. That’s simply who he’s as an individual. I’m excited for folks to get an opportunity to get to know him just a little bit and see his character on the sidelines. I believe he’s any person that — I care extra about our fanbase liking him than others — however folks within the league will likely be pleasantly shocked by him.
Dalzell: With so many free brokers, that is primed to be fairly an offseason for Connecticut. How do you stability wanting to remain aggressive subsequent season with considering long-term and wanting to organize for the longer term?
Tuck: It’s onerous to enter it anticipating that you just’re going to be the very same, proper? We’ve had loads of change throughout the final couple of months, and extra change to return, clearly. However, we’re a Connecticut group, and Connecticut is understood for having actually aggressive groups and actually good groups — so I don’t suppose we will shrink back from that and the expectations round how good we must be. However it takes time — and you must have change, and get issues arrange.
You strategy it open-mindedly, and also you strategy it : what are the very best situations? What’s going to place us in the very best place within the short-term and hopefully the long-term as nicely — particularly with all of the uncertainty across the new CBA that’s going to be in place subsequent yr? Free company goes to be insane subsequent yr. So, you simply have to take a look at the complete image and see what makes probably the most sense — what’s going that can assist you to stay aggressive, however then additionally set us up for the longer term as nicely.
Dalzell: Would it not be truthful to say that proper now, each potential pathways are on the desk — each bringing key free brokers again and resetting?
Tuck: I don’t know if I contemplate it resetting. I might put it extra at — it’s simply very open-minded. There are some gamers that now we have just a little bit extra pull [with], and a few the place, hey, they get to decide on the place they go. So it’s onerous to say precisely, nevertheless it’s very open at this level, and now we have to make use of the subsequent month or so to get it from open to just a little bit extra targeted and pointed right into a path that we really feel is one of the best ways to go.
Dalzell: Do you wish to see free brokers like Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, and Brionna Jones again in Connecticut subsequent season?
Tuck: I believe it simply is determined by the scenario. We’ve been so good and we’ve had such a very good core, that it’s onerous to only say, ‘alright, let’s not do it.’ However on the similar time, there are loads of components at play from our aspect and the gamers’ aspect. So, it’s very up within the air, and it’s going to be one thing that we’ll have a greater thought of as we get nearer to it. It’s simply actually open.
Dalzell: Veronica Burton was picked by the Golden State Valkyries within the growth draft. What was the emotional aspect of being concerned in these choices like?
Tuck: Clearly, we have been unhappy to see Veronica chosen to be taken — she was nice. I believe everybody can see simply how nice of an individual she was, and as a participant as nicely. However, this growth draft was to check the water, however we’ll have two new groups coming in subsequent yr, so the growth draft isn’t going anyplace. It was a great way to get one underneath your belt.
Dalzell: How did you go about deciding which gamers to guard, and the way do you stability prioritizing the gamers you need again and who you suppose the Valkyries may be serious about?
There’s a cause why they put a restrict on what number of you possibly can shield, and it’d be simple if you happen to may shield everybody that you don’t wish to lose. Folks that we ended up not defending — it doesn’t imply that they’re not wished. It’s onerous when you must depart folks out or shield sure folks over others.
However there are causes for that, proper? It’s to make issues aggressive and be sure that the Valkyries can begin considerably aggressive as nicely. The Growth Draft is all the time thrilling, nevertheless it’s onerous on the similar time since you’re most likely gonna lose somebody that you just want you didn’t need to.
Be aware: The second half a part of SB Nation’s dialog with Morgan Tuck — about her journey to basic supervisor — will likely be revealed later this week.
