Did the Sun reinforce their core?

The Sun are running it back, re-signing Brionna Jones and DeWanna Bonner to go with Alyssa Thomas. However, Connecticut made some changes to the supporting cast. Will the 2024 Sun be a better team?

The Connecticut Sun are (mostly) running it back, continuing to press for the franchise’s first championship with the core of Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones.

While Thomas already was under contract for the 2024 season, both Bonner and Jones signed one-year contracts with the Sun. Bonner will be on an unprotected contract for $200,000, while Jones’ $212,000 deal is a protected veteran contract.

The Sun also used the free agency period to re-arrange the roster around the trio. The Sun traded Natisha Hiedeman to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Tiffany Mitchell and the No. 19 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. The organization then signed and traded unrestricted free agent Rebecca Allen to the Phoenix Mercury for Moriah Jefferson. Connecticut is bringing back Rachel Banham, who the Sun selected with the No. 4 pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft. The Sun also signed Astou Ndour-Fall, who last played in the WNBA in 2021 with the Chicago Sky.

Including training camp signings Rennia Davis, Kianna Smith and Sydney Wiese, Connecticut has 13 players on roster, suggesting that the Sun’s free agency business is complete. The players Connecticut selects with their four draft picks—No. 10, No. 19, No. 22, No. 34—also will be in competition for the team’s final 12 roster spots.

So, is the 2024 version of the Sun better than the 2023 version?

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Why the Sun retained Brionna Jones and DeWanna Bonner

Photo by Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images

Of course, Connecticut wanted to keep Breezy and DB; they’re both fantastic.

After Bonner showed some slippage in 2022, she had a bounce-back season in 2023, turning in her most productive offensive season in a Sun uniform despite assuming a heavier defensive burden. In her 14th season in the W, Bonner played in all 40 games, with her impressive durability matched by her smoldering desire, expressed whenever she drained a deep 3 one end or swatted a shot on the other. It’s hard to imagine the Sun without her.

Last season, of course, the Connecticut did have to function without Jones, who was lost for the season when she suffered an Achilles injury in late June. It’s likely wise to temper expectations for her 2024 season. Even if she doesn’t round into her All-Star form, she’ll lighten the load for Bonner and Thomas, relieving the duo of playing minutes at center.

That said, the Sun did seem to discover their identity and become the best version of themselves after Jones was sidelined. That’s not to say the Sun are better without Jones; it’s just difficult to offensively optimize a lineup featuring two players with limited shooting range—Jones and Thomas—in the modern WNBA. Connecticut has done it before and, as they always seem to defy the doubters, they’ll probably do it again. But, from a team-building perspective, it’s worth questioning the Sun’s decision to invest a top-dollar contract in Jones, who is coming back from a serious injury and potentially complicates the team’s identity.

Why the Sun acquired Tiffany Mitchell, Moriah Jefferson, Rachel Banham and Astou Ndour-Fall

Photo by Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images

A whiff of familiarity defines most of Connecticut’s new additions. Mitchell began her career with the Indiana Fever, playing for head coach Stephanie White. Jefferson is a UConn product. Banham began her career with the Sun, while she also crossed paths with Mitchell and Jefferson in Minnesota in 2023 and 2022, respectively. Jefferson and Ndou-Fall were teammates on the Dallas Wings in 2020.

Mitchell will be tasked with filling the role that the now-retired Tiffany Hayes occupied last season. Mitchell is not as dynamic as Hayes on the ball and is less reliable as an off-ball shooter. Defensively, Mitchell also is less disruptive than Hayes. Nevertheless, Mitchell was overburdened last season with the Lynx, often asked to initiate the offense. With a narrowed and defined role in Connecticut, she has a good chance of replicating the efficient impact she provided for the Fever in 2022. That season, she shot a career-high 45.1 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from 3.

To acquire Mitchell, Connecticut had to sacrifice Natisha Hiedeman; Jefferson restocks the guard rotation. After a series of injuries limited her court time for several seasons, she has enjoyed strong health for three-straight seasons. Across those three seasons, spent with the Wings, Lynx and Mercury, Jefferson has shot 44.4 percent from the field and 42.8 percent from 3, while averaging 8.7 points, 3.6 assists and a steal per game. In short, she’s a perfectly reliable point guard. It will be interesting to see if she or Ty Harris earns the starting job. Over the course of last season, Heideman remained Stephanie White’s starter, but Harris’ minutes increased over the course of the season. Her numbers—not just her raw averages but also her efficiency—also improved with more playing time.

It’s unfortunate the Sun could not retain Allen, who seemingly chose to take her talents to Phoenix. Although Banham lacks the defensive length of Allen, she replaces her floor spacing. In fact, Banham is a higher-volume and more accurate 3-point shooter. She’s also a capable secondary ball handler.

Finally, Ndour-Fall offers Connecticut a different kind of big. As mentioned, neither Jones nor Thomas possess much shooting range; neither does reserve Olivia Nelson-Ododa. Although inconsistent, Ndour-Fall has flashed some ability to hit the 3. With the Chicago Sky in 2019, she made 42.4 percent of her 1.6 attempts per game. Her ability to potentially serve as shooting threat, all without sacrificing defensive rim protection, makes her an intriguing piece who could play alongside Thomas and Bonner.

So, are the Sun better?

Is turning Hayes, Hiedeman and Allen into Mitchell, Jefferson and Banham, in addition to adding Ndour-Fall, an upgrade? It’s hard to argue that the departed members of the 2023 team did not offer higher-ceiling play that the new additions for 2024.

The return of Jones on top of these additions, however, equips White with depth and versatility, allowing Connecticut to potentially experiment with a wider variety of play styles. But, the best option might again be riding the Alyssa Thomas train. And it’s AT’s play, more than anything else, that will determine how good the Sun are in 2024.