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Sun Team Creation
Before the franchise relocated to Connecticut in 2003, the team operated as the Orlando Miracle. After the 2002 season, the NBA sold off all of the WNBA franchises to the operators of the respective teams, which placed the league in the middle of team contractions, relocations, and potential labor strife. Since Magic ownership was no longer interested in retaining the rights to the Miracle and no local partnership was reached, the organization ceased operations and was purchased by the Mohegan Tribe. On January 28, 2003, it was announced that the Miracle would immediately move to Uncasville, Connecticut and change its nickname to the Sun (in reference to the Mohegan Sun casino). The Sun’s nickname, color scheme and logo are similar to that of another defunct Florida-based franchise, the Miami Sol, which folded at the same time as the Miracle’s relocation to Connecticut.
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Tina Charles 2012 MVP
Tina Charles was named the 2012 MVP of the WNBA, winning 25 of 41 first place votes. She led the league in the number of double-doubles recorded, and set the mark for the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 900, 1,000 and 1,100 rebounds.
The Connecticut Sun is a professional women’s basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut that competes in the Eastern Conference of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). Along with the Minnesota Lynx, the club was established in 1999 as part of the league’s expansion from ten to twelve teams. The Miracle, the club’s previous moniker, originated that year in Orlando, Florida, as the sister team to the NBA’s Orlando Magic. Financial straits left the Miracle teetering on the brink of disbanding before the Mohegan Indian tribe purchased.
Capitalizing on the popularity of women’s basketball in the state, as a result of the success of the UConn Huskies, the Sun also held the distinction of being the only WNBA franchise not to share its market with an NBA team from 2003 until the Seattle SuperSonics relocated, leaving the Storm as an independent team in Seattle.
Established
1999
City
Orlando – Connecticut
League History
1999 – Present / Women’s National Basketball Association
Team History
2003 – Present / Connecticut Sun
1999 – 2002 / Orlando Miracle
Nickname
Sun – The derivative of the club’s name comes from its affiliation with Mohegan Sun, while the team’s logo is reflective of a modern interpretation of an ancient Mohegan symbol.
Championship
WNBA Championships 0
Arena
2003 – Present / Mohegan Sun Arena
*Orlando*
1999 – 2002 / TD Waterhouse Centre
Owner
2003 – Present / Mohegan Sun
1999 – 2002 / RDV Sports, Inc.
Retired Number
*Blue is this team’s history