One of the biggest stories we’ve covered at the Women's Basketball Roundup was the Connecticut Sun's swift dissolution.
Connecticut has been in the semifinals every year since 2019 and has reached two WNBA Finals in that period. The streak will likely end in 2025, as the team said goodbye to various franchise stalwarts this winter.
Stephanie White's departure to Indiana was the first domino. On February 1, the Sun lost 2024 Most-Improved Player DiJonnai Carrington to Dallas in a four-team trade. Soon after, the remainder of the Connecticut starting five were gone. The Sun lost Brionna Jones to Atlanta, Alyssa Thomas to Phoenix, and DeWanna Bonner followed White to the Fever.
On the outside looking in, all signs point to a rebuild in Uncasville. While the Connecticut Sun management still believes the team can compete and make it to the playoffs, one of the team’s biggest stars thinks otherwise.
When Marina Mabrey asked to be traded from the Chicago Sky last summer, she specifically wanted to join the Sun and help in their quest for a championship. Although Connecticut fell short, they gave the Minnesota Lynx one heck of a fight in the 2024 semifinals. Connecticut took the Lynx the distance before ultimately falling 88-77 in the deciding Game 5.
With the Sun's core gone, Mabrey requested a trade, presumably to leave for a contender for the opportunity to compete for a championship. The team has denied the request.
"The reasons we have for not trading Marina are rooted in positivity," team president Jennifer Rizzoti told ESPN."It's rooted in a desire to build around her, have her here, have her be the catalyst for what we want to do offensively, taking advantage of her versatility, knowing that the style that [coach] Rashid [Meziane] plays with will suit her game, and knowing that we can put her in an individual situation to be really successful as this current CBA closes and a new one opens."
While the Sun may believe in Mabrey, the feeling may not be mutual. Mabrey’s agent, Marcus Crenshaw, is NOT here for the Sun’s rationalizations and reasons for not trading his client.
"In this current age of women's empowerment and support of the players, the CT Sun threatening to force Marina Mabrey to play for them after her trade request is mind-boggling," he told ESPN.
"Why would anyone try to force someone to play on their team when they don't want to be there?"
It's counterproductive in a ton of ways and everyone we have spoken to is perplexed about how they are handling Marina after trading away Hall of Fame-caliber players.
For teams like the Sun, you still want to put a good product on the court and give the fans something enjoyable to watch, even if it is no longer a contender. With more eyes than ever on the WNBA, they want to give new fans something they can latch onto and build a connection that will last for years.
Creating an environment players want to be part of on the court is critical. Over the years, the Sun has struggled to hold on to superstar talents as bigger markets, greater amenities, etc., have led these players elsewhere. Connecticut is already at a severe financial disadvantage, and being a team that can’t compete will make attracting good free agents and draft picks even more challenging. Maintaining their respectability even as they enter a new era could go a long way as they establish the infrastructure needed to keep up with teams like New York, Indiana, etc.
For Mabrey, she wants to compete for a WNBA championship. That’s no longer possible in Connecticut, so why she wants to leave is understandable. The Sun envisions her as the centerpiece of their offense and would like to see how she does in a new role as lead option on offense.
However, when you’ve been in the league for seven seasons and have yet to make it to the Finals, that may not be enough to stick around a situation that no longer serves her. The question Mabrey has to figure out is whether gritting through this season will be worth it or whether you escalate matters to try and have your desires met.
As we draw closer to Opening Night in the WNBA, teams have big decisions to make. What players do you draft, and how do you see them adjusting to your roster in training camp? Are there still free agents you can bring in and expect to contribute?
The Connecticut Sun and Marina Mabrey must decide whether to continue working together now that their visions are no longer aligned.
In this moment, you must do what’s best for you while ensuring you don’t needlessly burn bridges. With the season fast approaching, everyone’s got to figure out how to make the best out of an uncomfortable situation
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