WNBA 2023 Free Agency Primer: Connecticut Sun set to transform roster

Most Finals teams don’t make drastic changes even after a loss. The Connecticut Sun aren’t most teams.

WNBA free agency opens up in February, with qualifying offers going out this week. For the Connecticut Sun, this is the next step in a transformational offseason.

The Sun finished 2022 with a 25-11 record. They made it all the way to the WNBA Finals, where they lost to the Las Vegas Aces in four games. A month later, it was announced that head coach Curt Miller was leaving the Sun and heading to LA. This was the first move in a new direction for the franchise.

As free agency approaches, the Sun have a chance to re-tool their roster for another postseason run with new head coach Stephanie White at the helm. The team will likely look very different than the one from last year.

The Connecticut Sun have six players under contract going into WNBA free agency

Going into the free agency period, the Sun have six players under contract: DeWanna Bonner, Alyssa Thomas, Jonquel Jones, Jasmine Thomas, DiJonai Carrington, and Nia Clouden.

Alyssa Thomas is the team’s most important player and leader. She posted four triple-doubles last year, two of which came in the Finals. Bonner is a veteran scorer (and Alyssa Thomas’ partner). Jonquel Jones won MVP in 2021. Jasmine Thomas is the team’s primary floor general, but is currently rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered in May 2022. These four have been the core that Connecticut has been built around for multiple years now, and they have made deep playoff runs together. There is little reason to think they won’t be capable of doing so in 2023.

Carrington and Clouden are both still on rookie deals. Carrington has carved out a role in the rotation as a fierce defender and capable finisher. She could be in line for a bigger role in 2023, depending on how Connecticut rebuilds.

Clouden, Connecticut’s first-round pick in 2022, saw spot minutes in her rookie season but flashed potential as a shooter and passer. If Thomas is out to start the 2023 season, Clouden would likely move up the rotation a bit in her absence.

Bonner, Thomas, Jones, and Thomas all make over $190,000 this year, combining for $847,500 in guaranteed salary. Clouden and Carrington move the salary total up to $984,187, leaving the Sun with $436,313 to work with, per Her Hoop Stats.

How will Stephanie White want to rebuild this team?

The Sun have a total of five players that are free agents this year. Three of the five are unrestricted: Bria Hartley, Brionna Jones, and Courtney Williams. These players are free to negotiate and sign with any WNBA team.

Hartley was brought on in the wake of the injury to Jasmine Thomas but also went down for the season after tearing her ACL. Her status for next season likely hinges on her health. The Sun may consider bringing her back, given how well she performed during her brief stint with the team.

Williams returned to Connecticut after a chaotic two seasons in Atlanta. She served as more of a tertiary option for the Sun and played the role fairly well. Her experience alongside the other members of the core (Williams played on the 2019 Finals team, as well) will likely keep her in Connecticut if she’s willing to make the money work.

Jones is likely gone. The 2022 Sixth Woman of the Year continues to improve and has outgrown the role and contract Connecticut can offer her. Jones is the premier big on the market and will have plenty of suitors across the league. Connecticut will have a big hole to fill.

Natisha Hiedeman is Connecticut’s lone restricted free agent and feels like a guarantee to return. Restricted free agent is defined as an out-of-contract player eligible for restricted free agency, but not unrestricted free agency, who had a restricted qualifying offer extended from their current team. Hiedeman thrived in 2022, averaging career highs in minutes, field goal attempts and percentage, 3-point attempts and percentage, assists, steals, and points. She also started 31 games in place of the aforementioned Thomas and Hartley. The leap, combined with her restricted status, make her return to Connecticut essentially a lock.

Joyner Holmes is Connecticut’s only reserved contract. A reserved player is free to negotiate a contract with their own team with different terms from the qualifying offer, but they may not negotiate with any other WNBA teams. Holmes appeared in 26 games for the Sun last season, playing 8 minutes per game. If she re-signs with the team, she could see her opportunity grow, especially after a strong overseas season.

The Sun will still be very good next year

The Sun’s core four having such a large payroll limits the team’s ability to go for top-tier free agents, but their talent means they don’t need to. The Sun can fill out the roster with quality supporting talent and potentially be right back in the Finals in 2023. They have plenty of options to choose from.

A compelling option is Lexie Brown returning to Connecticut. Her history with the previous staff would have made this a no-go, but with that staff moving to Brown’s most recent team, it might be more plausible now. Connecticut could use another elite shooter, and Brown’s scrappy defense fits well with the team’s identity. Her price tag should be in the Sun’s price range, too.

In that same breath, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough is another option. A hard-working, knockdown shooter with playoff experience, Walker-Kimbrough has seen tremendous success with the Washington Mystics as a bench spark. Walker-Kimbrough is the ultimate role player, averaging 16.6 minutes in her career. Her consistent shooting and effort off the bench would be a welcome sight for the Sun.

As far as bigs go, the Sun could target Megan Gustafson. Gustafson has bounced around the WNBA a bit, but this year she posted some outrageous overseas numbers. The lefty center has shown improvement across the board and should be one of the more intriguing free agents in the class. Despite that, WNBA teams may still play it safe with Gustafson, leaving room for the Sun to snag her on an affordable deal.

The Sun will be fine…for this season

With its core still intact, the Sun will be as competitive as ever. Even under a new coach, their identity will still be scrappy, hard-nosed play. How Connecticut fills the roster around that group and adds to the identity will ultimately define the team’s ceiling. Stephanie White’s changes to the team’s system will also be important, and she has a chance to mold the roster around the core to her liking in free agency.