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Finals Timeline: the intertwined history of the 2019 WNBA finalists

By Kurtis Zimmerman

5/21/04 - Former University of MN Gopher star Lindsey Whalen makes the transition to the pros, training with the Connecticut Sun in preparation for her first WNBA season, which opens Saturday against Phoenix. THIS PHOTO: Whalen, second player from left, cheers for her teammates during a scrimmage at the team's Connecticut College practice site. The scrimmage against a group of male players, helped to prepare the Sun for their feason opener this Saturday night. At far left is head coach Mike Thibault. (Photo by JUDY GRIESEDIECK/Star Tribune via Getty Images)
5/21/04 - Former University of MN Gopher star Lindsey Whalen makes the transition to the pros, training with the Connecticut Sun in preparation for her first WNBA season, which opens Saturday against Phoenix. THIS PHOTO: Whalen, second player from left, cheers for her teammates during a scrimmage at the team's Connecticut College practice site. The scrimmage against a group of male players, helped to prepare the Sun for their feason opener this Saturday night. At far left is head coach Mike Thibault. (Photo by JUDY GRIESEDIECK/Star Tribune via Getty Images) /
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SECAUCUS, NJ – APRIL 9: Geno Auriemma head coach of the University of Connecticut and Renee Montgomery pose for a photo prior the 2009 WNBA Draft on April 9, 2009 in Secaucus, New Jersey. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images)
SECAUCUS, NJ – APRIL 9: Geno Auriemma head coach of the University of Connecticut and Renee Montgomery pose for a photo prior the 2009 WNBA Draft on April 9, 2009 in Secaucus, New Jersey. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Two crucial moves

Once on top of the league, by 2009, the Sun were without Katie Douglas, Nykesha Sales, and inside stalwart Margo Dydek, and after finishing 16-18 (their first losing season in Uncasville), it was time for a major change-up. The Sun sent Whalen, their star point gurad, back home to Minnesota, receiving Renee Montgomery and the first overall pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft. They selected University of Connecticut standout Tina Charles as the new center of their rebuild to the top.

All the while, Toliver, who was drafted by the Chicago Sky in 2009, made her way out west in a trade to the Los Angeles Sparks prior to the 2010 season.

Marianne Stanley — who had roamed around for a few years with the New York Liberty, a few more on C. Vivian Stringer’s staff at Rutgers, and a couple as an assistant in Los Angeles — returned to the Mystics in 2010 as an assistant coach, and she remains in that position today.

The vision in Connecticut never fully materialized. Adding Olympian and WNBA champion Kara Lawson and the emergence of Allison Hightower helped push the Sun back to a 25-9 finish in 2012, but they were once again stopped by the Fever, who went on to win their first championship that year.

Feeling they needed to make another big move to get the Sun to the next level, Chris Sienko announced they were parting ways with Coach Thibault on November 20, 2012. The Mystics, after making their way to the top of the Eastern Conference in 2010, plummeted back to the bottom after an injury-laden season, leaving them looking for a new leader prior to the 2013 season. That’s when they swooped up the newly available Thibault to get the franchise back to the top. Mike hired his son Eric to join Stanley as an assistant coach on his staff after moving up from graduate assistant at St. John’s to an assistant coaching job at VCU.

By this point Miller had made the biggest move of his career to date, signing a six-year contract to take over as head coach at one of his “dream” destinations, Indiana University, in 2012.

More downs than ups

Coming off their worst finish since their inaugural season, the Mystics’ 5-29 record gave them the best odds in the Draft lottery on September 26, 2012. The upcoming WNBA Draft featured the “Three to See,” any one of whom could be franchise-changers. Brittney Griner, Elena Delle Donne, and Skylar Diggins were the prize picks that year, but despite having the best odds at the top pick, the Mystics’ bad luck continued as they left the lottery with the fourth overall pick.

This is another fascinating inflection point for the Mystics, who missed out on Griner (Phoenix Mercury), Delle Donne (Sky), and Diggins (Tulsa Shock), drafting Tayler Hill with their first-round pick, but they nabbed relative unknown and Belgium’s own Emma Meesseman with the 19th overall pick. Just 19 years old at the time, would the Mystics have drafted her at the time had they gotten Delle Donne? If they had drafted Griner or Diggins, what shape would the rest of the roster have taken?

Hypotheticals aside, the Mystics continued to sputter while collecting assets. They drafted Bria Hartley and Stefanie Dolson in 2014, and they signed Tianna Hawkins, who was initially drafted by the Storm in 2013.

After Thibault’s departure, the Sun brought in Anne Donovan, who had dashed their hopes at a title in 2004 when she was head coach of the Seattle Storm. 2014 would prove to be a pivotal year for the Sun in building toward their current roster. Charles forced her way out back home to New York in a trade that netted the Sun Alyssa Thomas, Kelsey Bone, and a 2015 first round pick that would eventually become Elizabeth Williams. They also drafted Chiney Ogwumike first overall and Chelsea Gray 11th that year.

2014 was also a tough year for Miller, who resigned from his head coaching position at Indiana on July 25, citing “personal health and family reasons” in the decision. That would end up being his last stint at the college level.

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