Still Finding Their Footing
The Connecticut Sun's rocky start raises questions, and one name keeps coming up.
There’s something almost poetic, in the most painful way, about the Connecticut Sun struggling through the early weeks of their final season in Connecticut. A 1-7 start isn’t what anyone envisioned for this farewell chapter. This was supposed to be a season of moments. A season where fans soaked everything in a little more, where every game felt meaningful because of what this franchise has meant to this state for so long.
And there’s still time for that. There’s a long season ahead. But right now, this team is still trying to figure itself out, and honestly, it’s been hard to watch at times.
I say that not as someone trying to overanalyze every possession or pretend to have all the answers, but simply as someone who genuinely loves this franchise and cares deeply about what this season means for Connecticut basketball. Through these first few weeks, the frustration has felt very real, because you can see flashes of something better buried underneath the growing pains.
A Team Still Being Built
It would be easy to look at a 1-7 record and immediately assume the worst, but the reality is this Connecticut Sun roster still feels unfinished. Leïla Lacan, who led the team in scoring last season with 10.4 points per game, still hasn’t played a minute because of overseas obligations. That matters more than people realize.
This is also a roster filled with new pieces still learning how to play together. Brittney Griner is new. Hailey Van Lith is new. Diamond Miller is new. Kennedy Burke is new. There’s a wave of rookies trying to adjust to the league, and at times you can actually see the potential starting to show itself before things suddenly fall apart again.
There have been stretches where the ball movement looks good, where the energy feels connected, where it feels like this group is finally starting to settle in. Then a few possessions later, the rhythm disappears. That inconsistency is frustrating, but it also feels like the reality of a team still searching for its identity, not necessarily a team without one.
The win in Seattle last week felt important for that reason. It felt like a deep breath. A reminder that this group is capable of putting together a complete game. But the back-to-back losses afterward, including Monday’s tough 97-70 loss to Golden State, brought everyone right back to reality. One good night doesn’t suddenly fix everything.
The Aneesah Morrow Conversation
But there’s one conversation that keeps coming up among fans, and honestly, it’s something I keep finding myself thinking about too.
Why isn’t Aneesah Morrow starting?
And to be clear, this isn’t me pretending to know more than the coaching staff. I’m not at practice. I’m not sitting in film sessions. There’s always more happening behind the scenes than fans can see. But at some point, production has to matter, and Morrow’s production has been impossible to ignore.
In five games this season, she’s averaging 14 points and 11 rebounds. She’s recorded a double-double in every appearance coming off the bench. Those aren’t “solid bench player” numbers. Those are impact player numbers.
Morrow brings an energy this team desperately needs right now. She plays hard every single possession. She crashes the boards like she’s fighting for something personal. She brings physicality, emotion, urgency, the kind of presence that can shift the tone of a game before it even settles in.
There’s also something about the way Connecticut fans have connected with her already. It’s her energy, her toughness, and the fact that every time she steps on the floor, it feels like she’s giving this team absolutely everything she has. Fans see it, and they respond to it.
In a season where this franchise is searching for consistency, identity, and honestly a little hope, players like that matter.
The conversation about her role isn’t about tearing down the players currently starting. It’s about asking whether this team is truly putting its best lineup on the floor right now. Whether the energy and production she brings deserve a bigger opportunity. A lot of fans seem to think the answer is yes, and I honestly understand why.
Reasons to Believe
As frustrating as this start has been, it’s still May. This team hasn’t even had the chance to look like its full version yet.
When Lacan returns this weekend, the offense changes immediately. Adding your leading scorer back into a group that has struggled offensively takes pressure off everyone else. Hailey Van Lith has already started showing signs of getting more comfortable within the system. Aaliyah Edwards continues to quietly develop into one of the more intriguing young forwards in the league. And Brittney Griner still brings leadership, experience, and a presence that impacts games even beyond the stat sheet.
There is talent on this roster. There is heart on this roster too.
If the pieces eventually start clicking, the rotations settle, and if this young core keeps growing together, there’s still a path for this season to become something meaningful.
The Clock Is Ticking
I think that’s why this slow start feels heavier than it normally would.
Every game matters a little more when the future of this franchise in Connecticut feels uncertain. Every missed opportunity stings a little more when fans are trying to hold onto every remaining moment with this team.
But I’m not ready to give up on this group, and I don’t think Connecticut fans should be either.
There are still too many stories left to unfold. Aneesah Morrow’s role in this team’s future is one of them, and I honestly don’t think we’ve seen the best version of her yet. Maybe we haven’t seen the best version of this team yet either.
The season is long and things can change quickly in this league. And for the Sun, it feels like the next chapter of this story is still being written.
