The Connecticut Sun made three roster moves on Friday, according to WNBA.com. The Sun made the move to extend a core qualifying offer to Alyssa Thomas, a big decision without question. Connecticut also extended a restricted qualifying offer to DiJonai Carrington and extended a reserved qualifying offer to Caitlin Bickle.
The Sun made a deep postseason run in 2024. Although Connecticut fell short of their goal of winning a championship, it was still a respectable effort to say the least. Thomas and Carrington played pivotal roles in the Sun's 2024 success.
Alyssa Thomas, DiJonai Carrington's impact on Sun
Thomas, a five-time All-Star, is one of the best players in the WNBA. The 32-year-old has spent her entire WNBA career in Connecticut. Thomas has earned fifth place or better in MVP voting in each of the past three seasons. In 2024, Thomas averaged 10.6 points per game while shooting 50.9 percent from the field. She also recorded 8.4 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 1.6 steals per outing.
Carrington, who has also played her entire career with the Sun, earned the Most Improved Player of the Year Award in 2024 after averaging 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Carrington has never been an All-Star, but she's a terrific two-way versatile guard.
Bickle, meanwhile, made her WNBA debut in 2024 with the Sun. She only played in parts of eight games, however. Bickle is a player who could factor into the Sun's long-term plans, though.
Sun hoping to make another competitive run in 2025
The Sun finished the 2024 season with a stellar 28-12 record, which was good for third overall in the WNBA. They finished second in the Eastern Conference, trailing only the eventual champion New York Liberty.
The Sun reached the WNBA SemiFinals before losing to the Minnesota Lynx. It was a competitive series, but Minnesota ended up emerging victorious. Still, Connecticut displayed the ability to compete at a high level.
Thomas led Connecticut throughout the '24 campaign. They will need her to play at an MVP-caliber level once again in 2025. Her ability to impact multiple facets of the game is of the utmost importance.
The question is whether or not Connecticut will make any big move this offseason in reference to adding talent from the outside. Connecticut has done a tremendous job of developing a contending roster, but adding a star free agent could turn them into an even more serious contender.