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The Connecticut Sun is one of the top teams in the WNBA and have a legitimate shot at winning a championship.
They finished the regular season with the league’s third-best record (28-12) and feature superstars Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner.
But when it came time to prepare to their opening-round playoff series against the Indiana Fever, Connecticut was forced to split its practice facility at Mohegan Sun Arena with a birthday party for a 2-year-old.
The Sun went on to win the game handily, 93-69. But Thomas, one of the league’s top players, did not hold back when discussing the predicament prior to the game.
“It’s normal at this point. I mean, Mohegan has to do better,” Thomas told The Next before Sunday’s game. “We’re [a] professional team. We’re competing for playoffs. And yeah, to have to share your court with a two-year-old[‘s] birthday party, [it’s the] ultimate disrespect. … We need more, we need better to compete at the highest level.”
Connecticut Sun Has Long History As One Of WNBA’s Worst Organizations
Thomas, a five-time WNBA All-Star, has played her entire career in Connecticut after being drafted with the No. 4 pick in the 2014 draft.
But she hasn’t been shy about discussing the organization’s poor treatment of its players.
“I think one thing with playing on Team USA and being around other players that are in [WNBA] markets that are the staple of what you want your organization to be in, [it shows that] honestly Connecticut is super behind when it comes to that,” she told reporters in August. “And I’ve been here 11 years and yes, we’ve made changes, but a lot of things still have so much room for improvement. And women’s basketball is hot right now and so many people want to support what we’re doing…”
Thomas is right. The league has taken steps forward. But it’s still abundantly clear that teams don’t get the respect they deserve from its owners.