Five Storylines That Defined CT Sun’s 2021 Season

The Connecticut Sun’s season didn’t end as many fans hoped, but despite falling short of the organization’s first title, there was a lot to feel good about.

The Sun were bounced in the WNBA semifinals after entering the tournament as favorites in the No. 1 seed. Unfortunately, it ended there to the Chicago Sky, who led by hometown hero Candace Parker, went on to win the championship.

Still, the season was one to be proud of, with a league-best 26-6 regular-season record. And even if it’s too late, the WNBA at least improved its playoff structure so that the No. 1 seed won’t get cold with a double-round bye.

Here are some of the storylines that defined it:

Jonquel Jones Named WNBA’s Most Valuable Player
After sitting out a year due to COVID-19 concerns in 2020, the star big showed just how dominant her skill set is in the league. NESN.com liked her odds to win the award early in the season, but by midseason, it was clear she’d be running away with the award.

Brionna Jones Wins WNBA’s Most Improved Player
Losing Alyssa Thomas with an Achilles tear before the start of the season was a brutal loss for the Sun, but Jones saw that as an opportunity to be capitalized on. And that she did, winning the Most Improved Player award after averaging a career-high 11.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

Curt Miller Named 2021 Coach Of The Year
There were a lot of obstacles the CT Sun coach had to face in the last two seasons. This year it was reintegrating Jonquel Jones with some new teammates and staying calm when Alyssa Thomas went down. But three straight deep playoff runs warranted congratulations.

Sun Were Defensive Powerhouses All Year
At one point late in the season, there was a case to be made that the entire CT Sun starting lineup could make All-Defensive teams. Ultimately, four of them — Jonquel Jones, Briann January, Brionna Jones and Jasmin Thomas — got the nod, and that still made WNBA history. But really, what were teams supposed to do against their size?

Getting Alyssa Thomas Back Was Huge
Thomas signed a multi-year contract and wasn’t going anywhere, but no one anticipated she’d be back for the postseason just nine months after surgery to repair her torn Achilles. She didn’t get that much run with the Sun’s season ending shortly after her return, but Connecticut still got its best defensive player back earlier than scheduled. If you thought their defense was good last season, just wait for 2022, when the Sun finally will benefit from their entire roster.