The Winning Frequency: How UConn prepared Morgan Tuck for Sun’s WNBA title chase

Washington, D.C. – The Connecticut Sun put themselves on the WNBA map by going toe-to-toe with the first-seeded Washington Mystics. The Sun were able to force a deciding Game 5 but eventually fell 89-78 in the deciding game Thursday night.

“It stings right now. Proud of that locker room,” Miller said moment after the loss. “The team had started out with a mission and a bold tagline front office campaign that we were going to burn it down and take the next step as an organization and as a team. From the moment training camp started we never shied from that and handled the pressure.”

The two teams were neck and neck for most of the contest. The game featured six lead changes and 13 tied scores. In the final 10 minutes, the Mystics were able to overcome the Sun, outscoring them 27-14 in the final frame.

“When it was all said and done, they played a better 10 minutes in that fourth quarter and deserved the championship,” Miller said from the podium.

However, the future is bright for Connecticut. The Sun has made three playoff appearances in three seasons and that is far from a fluke. The pieces started coming together four seasons ago when the Sun selected Morgan Tuck third overall in the 2016 WNBA Draft.

Coming off four consecutive NCAA National Titles at the University of Connecticut, Miller has banked on her championship pedigree to root the Sun as they developed a winning culture of their own.

Connecticut also drafted Rachel Banham. Two-time All-Star Jonquel Jones was acquired in a Draft Day trade and the Sun would acquire Courtney Williams in a trade with Phoenix six games into the season.

Injuries have hampered Tuck’s WNBA career, but that has not diminished her role for the Sun. Unphased professionalism is what Miller saw in Tuck throughout her college years and why he selected her with his first draft pick.

“She’s such a smart player. She’s not afraid of this moment, [having won] four National Championships in college,” said Miller of Tuck after Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.

Throughout the Finals, Miller deployed Tuck to awaken the offense and solidify his defense against a potent and much more veteran-filled Washington Mystics team. Despite making her first appearance in the WNBA Finals in 2019, Tuck is no stranger when it comes to competing for championships for the state of Connecticut.

“I do think there’s more than one way to win,” the 2016 University of Connecticut alumna told FanSided. “I don’t think the way we do things [at UConn] is the only way. But, when you see what works, what you have to do, or how you’re supposed to carry yourself, or how hard you supposed to work you are forced to kind of do it. So it kind of becomes a habit.”

In her first four years in the WNBA, Tuck has also learned how to evolve and grow from the UConn blueprint, as opposed to being restricted by it. However, it’s not always easy. Tuck’s best numbers came in her rookie season, she averaged a career-high 7 points per game in 26 games. In 2019, Tuck averaged 3.7 points in 33 appearances.

“You have to do more on your own and the pro level. So instead of [associate head coach] Chris Daily telling me what I need to do, it’s like, you have to tell yourself, you have to be more accountable,” said Tuck.

However, she enjoyed the opportunity to personalize her game, to make it her own. She has the confidence to take risks and challenge herself because she has a stable foundation. Her outlook on the game is another byproduct of playing at UConn, and exactly what makes the Sun a team to watch in years to come.

WNBA Championships are hard to win, especially by young teams. Head coach Curt Miller built a team around young talent. On Sept. 30, he coached his first 30-year-old player as Jasmine Thomas celebrated a birthday. The very next day, Miller got his first WNBA Finals victory. In short, experience matters in the WNBA.

What comes next for Connecticut is unclear. However, with Tuck and the other pieces Miller acquired in 2016, there is a strong core of players that have established the fast-paced, gritty, and fun character of the modern version of the Connecticut Sun franchise. Miller brought his young team to the final game of the season against Mike Thibault, the last Sun coach to reach the Finals (2005).

What is clear is Miller has built something full of promise. Tuck lost her first championship game as a Connecticut player. In 2019, the Connecticut Sun wanted to Burn it Down. Despite falling to the Mystics, the team will inevitably rise from the ashes stronger and more determined than ever before.