Is Adams the missing piece for Connecticut?

Coming off of an 11-7 record over the final 18 games of the 2016 season, the promising young squad is looking forward to a successful 2017 run. The excitement is especially brewing after the Sun went 3-0 in their preseason contests against the defending WNBA champion, the Los Angeles Sparks, the Chicago Sky and the New York Liberty.

“We have a lot of talent. We’re scrappy and we’re going to compete. I know I can go to war with any of these girls because they have my back and I have theirs. I know we’re going to play hard and use our fresh legs. It’s all about putting the pieces together, and you never know what could happen,” said the Penn State stand out and 5-foot-7 guard Alex Bentley.

Connecticut, while primarily a young team, is rich with talent and they have a new and improved roster to show for it. Danielle Adams will be joining the Sun after a successful career with the San Antonio Stars. Connecticut waived rookie Shayla Cooper to make room for the veteran forward/center who is looking forward to joining the Sun.

“I haven’t been this excited about a WNBA season in a long time,” Adams said. “It’s been a while. Actually, I feel the same way I did during my senior year at [Texas] A&M.”

Her excitement to be apart of this promising team has shown in her hot preseason performance. She finished 12-of-20 from the floor (60 percent) and 8-of-14 from beyond the arc (57 percent). In addition to this, Adams broke a preseason record of eight three-pointers in preseason, which is now the most currently in a WNBA preseason.

Chiney Ogwumike offers a promising future for the Sun and is an irreplaceable asset for their team. Although she’s suspended this season due to an offseason surgery she had to repair an Achilles tendon injury, the forward has signed a multi-year contract with Connecticut and looks forward to joining her teammates back on the court in 2018.

“It’s never easy choosing to sit out a season, but I knew this would give my team the best chance to be successful not only this year but also for years to come,” Ogwumike said. “I am really excited about our strong young core, and my contract extension ensures that upon my return to the court in 2018, we will continue to build together.

There were, literally, a wave of waives across the WNBA and especially for Connecticut. The Sun waived a total of seven players before the upcoming season. Players waived include: Kelly Farris, Jessica January, Allison Hightower, Shayla Cooper, Reshanda Gray, Jennifer Hamson, and Kayla Pedersen.

The Sun will kick off their regular season tomorrow, May 13, 2017, against the Atlanta Dream in Connecticut. The game will take place at 6 p.m. on the Sun’s home court at Mohegan Sun Arena.