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Best of the Decade: Connecticut Sun, Mason Patriots and UConn Huskies

By Natalie Heavren

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 1: Jonquel Jones #35 of the Connecticut Sun shoots three point basket against the Washington Mystics during Game 2 of the 2019 WNBA Finals on October 1, 2019 at the St. Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, DC. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Rich Kessler/NBAE via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 1: Jonquel Jones #35 of the Connecticut Sun shoots three point basket against the Washington Mystics during Game 2 of the 2019 WNBA Finals on October 1, 2019 at the St. Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, DC. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Rich Kessler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The best moments of the teams’ decade

As we enter the new decade it’s time to take a look at some of the finest moments in the past one.

Connecticut Sun

In my first year covering the team from my home state, I was able to report on the team as they made it to the Finals for the first time since 2005.

While this may not be a single moment, it was rather a compilation of many moments, primarily in games 2 and 4, that led to an incredible run for the team.

My favorite moments from this run came in Game 2, the game in which Jonquel Jones had a dominant 32 point, 18 rebounds, 3 block performance. She was also 3-7 from behind the arc.

This incredibly impressive performance is made even better when you take into account the fact that Jones had 10 points in a pivotal fourth quarter when the Mystics pulled within a single possession multiple times.

I am certainly going to remember this performance, and Finals run, for many decades to come.

Mason Patriots

Disclaimer: I am a current Mason student.

While I cover the entirety of the Atlantic 10, that started only a couple of months ago. However, I have covered the Mason women’s basketball team since 2017 through the school paper.

The best moment of the team’s decade was not their recent win over Penn State, nor Nicole Cardaño-Hillary’s buzzer-beater in February, but rather the team’s first postseason win that came on March 16, 2018.

The third time proved to be the charm for the Patriots, who had lost in the opening round of their two previous WNIT berths when they took on SF Austin. Not only did Mason win 82-75, but graduate transfer Natalie Butler also broke the NCAA single-season rebounding record.

Butler had played her freshman year at Georgetown, spent three years, including a redshirt season at UConn, before returning home to play at Mason.

No one expected the run from Butler (not even herself), or the team, prior to the start of the season. However, the team finished their historic season with a 24-10 record, including an 11-5 mark in conference play, their best since joining the A-10.

UConn Huskies

Because I was in sixth grade when this decade began and did not begin sportswriting until the second half of 2017, I chose to include my most defining fan moment of the 2010s.

I was a bright-eyed, not really… I had two concussions by the time basketball season rolled around, high school freshman when Breanna Stewart started her freshman year at UConn.

As someone who had grown up watching UConn and whose main memory of middle school looking back seven years later is Notre Dame beating UConn, watching UConn play was a tradition in my house.

Both my dad and I grew attached to Stewie, rooting for her quite loudly in our living room and crying watching her senior night on TV.

So it should come as no surprise that UConn winning their four consecutive championships was one of the best moments of my decade.

The 2016 title was my favorite due to the historic significance, however, the 2014 title is a close second, as it came just 24 hours after the men’s team won a title.

The 2010s were a very memorable decade and I cannot wait to see what it has in store for the sport of women’s basketball.

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