Arlington, TX: The Connecticut Sun (18-6) head to Texas for the first game back after the Olympic break to take on the Dallas Wings (6-19) on Friday, August 16 at 9:30 PM ET/8:30 PM CT at the College Park Center. The Sun lead the 2024 regular season series, 2-0, and will go for the regular season sweep on Friday night. The game will air on ION and stream live on WNBA League Pass.
Storylines:
New Faces:
On July 17, the Sun acquired veteran guard Marina Mabrey in a trade with the Sky, sending guards Rachel Banham and Moriah Jefferson to Chicago. Additionally, the Sun sent their 2025 first round pick and rights to swap 2026 first round picks (Phoenix’s 2026 first round pick acquired by Chicago prior to the 2024 season for Connecticut’s 2026 first round pick) to the Sky and received the Sky’s 2025 second round pick. Through 24 games with the Sky this season, Mabrey averaged 14.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists (team-high) and 1.2 steals per contest.
On July 20, the Sun signed forward Caitlin Bickle to a seven-day contract (to end August 21). Bickle, a 6-1 forward out of Baylor University, previously signed a training camp contract with Connecticut prior to the 2023 season. She appeared in two preseason matchups for the Sun but was waived prior to the start of the regular season.
Olympic Recap:
The Connecticut Sun organization was well represented at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, headlined by Sun forward Alyssa Thomas who earned gold with the USA Basketball Women’s National Team on Sunday, defeating France, 67-66. Thomas, making her Olympic debut, helped Team USA to their eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal, as the team went 6-0 through group play and the knockout stages. She averaged 3.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 17.4 minutes per contest, seeing action in all six games throughout the tournament. Thomas joins Tina Charles and Asjha Jones as the only three players in franchise history to win gold at the Olympics with Team USA. Connecticut Sun President
Connecticut Sun Jen Rizzotti led the USA 3×3 Women’s National Team to a bronze medal, serving as the team’s head coach in Paris. Sun Assistant Coach Abi Olajuwon served as an assistant coach with the Nigeria Basketball Women’s National Team at the Olympics and helped lead the team to the quarterfinal round. Leila Lacan, selected No. 10 overall by the Connecticut Sun in the 2024 WNBA Draft, earned a silver medal with the French Women’s National Team in her Olympic debut.
Opponent History:
Connecticut is 44-33 all-time against Dallas during the regular season, including a 19-19 record on the road. In their last meeting, the Sun defeated the Wings, 85-67, on June 15 in Arlington. DiJonai Carrington notched 14 points, while Alyssa Thomas was a rebound and an assist away from a triple-double, tallying 13 points, nine rebound and nine assists in the win. The Sun have won six of the last ten regular season meetings dating back to 2021. Head Coach Latricia Trammel is in her second season with Dallas.
Sun-Wings Connections:
- Sun guard Ty Harris was drafted seventh overall to the Dallas Wings in the 2020 WNBA Draft and played with the team from 2020-2022.
- Sun guard Marina Mabrey played for the Dallas Wings from 2020-2022.
- Sun guard Veronica Burton was drafted seventh overall to the Dallas Wings in the 2022 WNBA Draft and played with the team from 2022-2023.
- Sun guard Marina Mabrey and Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale played together at the University of Notre Dame from 2015-2019.
- Wings assistant coach Brandi Poole was an assistant with the Connecticut Sun for five seasons (2018-2022).
- Wings Director of Player Programs and Development Coach Jasmine Thomas played with the Connecticut Sun for eight seasons (2015-2022).
- Sun assistant coach Abi Olajuwon and Wings assistant coach Courtney Paris played together at Oklahoma University from 2006-2009.