Plenty of players moved teams this offseason, including several stars. The Connecticut Sun were largely on the wrong end of that movement. Just a few months after putting up the best defensive rating in the league and making another semifinal appearance, the Sun lost almost all of their key players.
DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones left in free agency, and Alyssa Thomas, DiJonai Carrington, and Ty Harris were traded. On top of that, the Sun lost Veronica Burton in the expansion draft, and Stephanie White left to coach the Indiana Fever. The only key piece left from last season’s roster is Marina Mabrey.
Mabrey came to the Sun during the 2024 season after requesting a trade from the Chicago Sky because she wanted to play for a contender. The Sun were just that when Mabrey joined the team, but they are not anymore.
Even after landing Natasha Cloud in the trade that sent out Alyssa Thomas and signing Tina Charles and Diamond DeShields in free agency, the Sun are not even close to the same level as teams like New York, Minnesota, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Seattle, or Indiana.
So, the Sun must do a few things to prepare for the future.
3. Prioritize the development of their young players
At this point, it seems that the Sun have no other choice but to rebuild. That’s what happens when you lose all of your best players. The key to a successful rebuild is amassing draft picks and developing young players.
Connecticut currently does not have many of the latter. The most notable young players on the roster at the moment are Leïla Lecan and Jacy Sheldon. In the 2025 draft, the Sun have the eighth overall pick as well as a late second-round pick and will see more young talent come in that way.
Developing those young players should be the Sun’s priority for now. After losing so many key players, the best thing the organization can do right now is to build for the future.
2. Convince Natasha Cloud to return in 2026
The Sun made some questionable decisions this offseason when they denied Marina Mabrey’s trade request, and reportedly refused to trade Cloud to the Liberty for the seventh pick in this year’s draft and another future first-round pick.
Cloud and Mabrey are some of the best players on the Sun’s current roster, but keeping them does little for the team’s future. Both are one-year rentals and can just leave during the 2026 offseason. In that case, the Sun would lose them for nothing, just like they already lost DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones this offseason, instead of getting assets to help with their rebuild.
Getting two first-round picks for Cloud would have been an excellent deal, and Mabrey also would have brought in some assets, even with her history of requesting trades. And yet, the Sun opted to hold on to their veterans, even if it comes at the expanse of the team’s long-term future. Having two veterans—one of which undoubtedly does not want to be there—for one year does not help with a rebuild that is becoming more and more inevitable.
The only way to make those decisions look better is to convince at least Cloud to stick around after the 2026 season and help guide the team’s young players. After everything that happened this offseason, it seems almost impossible that the Sun can convince Mabrey to stick around.
1. Chase a 2027 lottery pick
Tanking for two years may not be what the Sun want to do right now—no organization enjoys losing that much—but it seems to be what is best for the team’s future. Unless the Sun can attract a bunch of big-time free agents in the 2026 offseason, they will not be one of the better teams in the league.
So, with immediate success seemingly out of reach, the Sun must build the foundation for future success. A 2027 lottery pick would certainly help with that. The 2027 draft class promises to be great, featuring players like Juju Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo, MiLaysia Fulwiley, and Madison Booker.
Chasing a 2027 lottery pick is one sure way for the Sun to land a young star to build around for the future.