The Connecticut Sun acquired Jacy Sheldon during the WNBA offseason as part of a four-team trade. Sheldon was selected by the Dallas Wings with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. The Ohio State product endured her share of ups and downs in 2024, but the Wings' decision to move on from her after only one season was surprising. Although the Sun are currently the league's worst team amid their rebuild, Sheldon is quietly having a big campaign.
Sheldon shot just 38.6 percent from the field and 30.9 percent from deep in 2024 with the Wings. Since joining Connecticut, though, the guard has taken a step forward to say the least. Sheldon is shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 40.3 percent on her three-point attempts. She is taking more overall attempts as well, yet she has drastically improved her efficiency.
The advanced statistics support Sheldon's second-year big step forward as well. Her 61.5 true shooting percentage is the 11th best mark in the entire WNBA. As a guard, Sheldon is also doing an impressive job of taking care of the basketball. The 24-year-old is turning the ball over just 1.2 times per contest.
Sure, her 2.0 assists per game don't jump off the page, but the team around her isn't helping matters in that regard. Overall, Sheldon averages 24.6 minutes per game. As a result, her points per game average isn't quite at star-level status, as it sits at 7.8. It is an improvement from her 5.4 points per game average in 2024, however. If given an opportunity to play more, one has to wonder if the former first round pick could establish herself as a star in the WNBA.
The Sun's offseason was not ideal. They lost a number of impactful players in trades and free agency. The Jacy Sheldon acquisition was overlooked, but it may prove to be a steal in the long run. Sheldon is now part of the Sun's core amid their current rebuild. She is a player who could impact Connecticut for years to come.
The Sun hold a 3-19 record at the moment. They have the worst record in the league. With Sheldon playing well, Connecticut's long-term future will be something to closely monitor.
As for the short-term outlook, the Sun will host the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday night in their first contest following the WNBA All-Star break.