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The Connecticut Solar’s Stephanie White was named the WNBA Coach of the 12 months on Sunday after guiding the crew to a 27-13 document and a third-place end.
Dallas Wings head coach Latricia Trammell was the runner-up, with the New York Liberty’s Sandy Bronello incomes six votes for third place.
Connecticut Solar @ConnecticutSun
Setting the bar excessive for 12 months One in Connecticut 📊
Congratulations to the WNBA Coach of the 12 months, Stephanie White!#CTSun | #ForgedByFire 🔥 pic.twitter.com/EgvMtiqyIw
Along with seeing head coach Curt Miller depart to just accept the Los Angeles Sparks job, the Solar noticed their finest participant, Jonquel Jones, request a commerce to the Liberty within the offseason. In addition they traded Jamsine Thomas, who had spent the earlier six seasons in Connecticut, to the Sparks, and Courtney Williams signed with the Chicago Sky.
Regardless of all the turnover, White carried on the regular-season success that grew to become the norm underneath Miller.
The Solar had been third in web score (4.4), per WNBA.com, which was a drop from their first-place finish (9.5) in 2022. That was to be anticipated, although, after they misplaced a four-time All-Star and one-time league MVP.
Typically, Connecticut continued to be stifling on protection and made some slight offensive tweaks that might show vital within the postseason. The crew went from eleventh to sixth in common three-point makes (7.2) and obtained 26 percent of its factors from past the arc, up from 22.3 percent a season in the past.
The 2022 WNBA Finals laid naked how the Solar wanted to alter their offense a bit no matter whether or not Miller stayed or went. They attempted 44 fewer threes than Las Vegas and had 10 fewer made threes.
White has made floor-spacing a barely larger precedence, and proof of the development was on show in Connecticut’s Recreation 1 victory over the Minnesota Lynx within the first spherical. It went 16-of-30 from the perimeter en path to a dominant 90-60 win.
The Solar stay a transparent underdog in pursuit of the franchise’s pursuit of a first-ever WNBA title. Many count on the top-seeded Aces and No. 2 New York Liberty to be on a collision course for the Finals.
No matter how the postseason shakes out, White undoubtedly did sufficient within the common season to earn her Coach of the 12 months nod.
