Connecticut officially signs Romero; adds 2 to training camp

Connecticut announced Leticia Romero has signed her rookie contract today with the Sun.

“After a year wait, we are excited to have signed Romero and look forward to having her in camp. She is a versatile guard who can play on and off the ball,” said Connecticut Sun General Manager and Head Coach Curt Miller said.

A native of Las Palmas, Spain, Romero was selected by the Connecticut Sun in the second round (16th overall) of the 2017 WNBA Draft, but she did not play in 2017 season because of commitments to the Spanish National Team.

The 5-foot-8 guard led Spain to its first Olympic silver medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. She is currently averaging 10.6 points, 7.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 steals for the ZVVZ USK Praha in the Czech Republic.

In her college career, Romero was the first three-time All American in the history of the Florida State women’s program. She led her team to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight in 2017 and finished as the ACC’s all-time leader in three-point shooting percentage at 47.7 percent.

While Romero has a contract under her belt, free agents Kelsey Griffin and Betnijah Laney agreed to training camp contracts.

Griffin is a former Sun player, who was originally selected by the Minnesota Lynx with the No. 3 pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft. The 6-foot-2 forward was traded to the Sun during the draft (played in 164 games), but afterward has played in Australia with the Bendigo Spirit since 2012.

Now an Australian citizen, Griffin was averaging 16.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per game through six games before she was sidelined with a hip injury that required surgery in November.

“Kelsey is a veteran forward with tremendous basketball IQ,” Miller said. “She is well respected by her teammates and is consistently described as a great leader, hard worker, and supportive teammate. She is ahead of schedule with her rehab and we are excited to welcome her back to Connecticut.”

Laney is a 6-foot guard/forward who also played for Bendigo Spirit this past season, averaging 14.7 points and 5.4 rebounds. She ended her 2016 season after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament on June 3, so she was waived by the Sky during training camp in 2017.

“She plays with a high motor and competitiveness that is hard to teach,” shared Miller. “We are excited that she has signed with us and look forward to working with her in camp.”