2007 Connecticut Sun season

The 2007 WNBA season was their ninth season and their fifth in Connecticut. The Sun attempted to return to the postseason for the fifth consecutive season and were successful.

2007 Connecticut Sun season
CoachMike Thibault
ArenaMohegan Sun Arena
Attendance7,970 per game
Results
Record18–16 (.529)
Place3rd (Eastern)
Playoff finishLost in Eastern Conference Semi-Finals
Team Leaders
PointsKatie Douglas (17.0)
ReboundsMargo Dydek (6.5)
AssistsLindsay Whalen (5.0)

Offseason

edit

Dispersal Draft

edit

Based on the Sun's 2006 record, they would pick 13th (last) in the Charlotte Sting dispersal draft. The Sun waived their pick.

WNBA draft

edit
Pick Player Nationality School
12 Kamesha Hairston   United States Temple
13 Sandrine Gruda   France France
26 Cori Chambers   United States Georgia
39 Kiera Hardy   United States Nebraska

[1]

Transactions

edit
  • June 8: The Sun sign Evanthia Maltsi.
  • May 18: The Sun waive Laura Summerton.
  • May 13: The Sun waive Kiera Hardy.
  • May 11: The Sun waive Vanessa Gidden and Brooke Smith.
  • May 8: The Sun waive Adrienne Davie.
  • April 29: The Sun sign Brooke Smith.
  • April 25: The Sun waive Monique Martin.
  • March 5: The Sun re-sign Laura Summerton.
  • February 22: The Sun re-sign Jamie Carey.
  • February 21: The Sun trade Taj McWilliams-Franklin to the Los Angeles Sparks for the rights to Érika de Souza and the Sparks’ first pick (12th overall) in the 2007 draft.
  • February 21: The Sun sign free agent Kristen Rasmussen.
  • February 7: The Sun re-sign Katie Douglas and Le'Coe Willingham.

[2]

Roster

edit
Connecticut Sun roster
Players Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Height Weight DOB From Yrs
G 10   Carey, Jamie 5' 6" (1.68m) 135 lb (61kg) Texas
G 23   Chambers, Cori 5' 9" (1.75m) 155 lb (70kg) Georgia
C 7   Gruda, Sandrine (DP) 6' 4" (1.93m) France
F/C 41   DeSouza, Erika 6' 4" (1.93m) 190 lb (86kg) Brazil
G/F 32   Douglas, Katie (C) 6' 0" (1.83m) 165 lb (75kg) Purdue
C 12   Dydek, Margo 7' 2" (2.18m) 223 lb (101kg) Poland
G/F 21   Hairston, Kamesha 6' 0" (1.83m) 146 lb (66kg) Temple
F 15   Jones, Asjha 6' 2" (1.88m) 196 lb (89kg) Connecticut
G/F 24   Mahoney, Megan 6' 0" (1.83m) 160 lb (73kg) Kansas State
G/F 9   Maltsi, Evanthia 5' 11" (1.8m) 165 lb (75kg) Greece
G 31   Phillips, Erin   5' 7" (1.7m) 162 lb (73kg) Australia
F 52   Rasmussen, Kristen 6' 4" (1.93m) 172 lb (78kg) Michigan
G/F 42   Sales, Nykesha (C) 6' 0" (1.83m) 175 lb (79kg) Connecticut
G 13   Whalen, Lindsay 5' 8" (1.73m) 150 lb (68kg) Minnesota
F 43   Willingham, Le'Coe 6' 0" (1.83m) 200 lb (91kg) Auburn
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Athletic trainer
Strength and conditioning coach

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (IN) Inactive
  • (S) Suspended
  •   Injured

Season standings

edit
Eastern Conference W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
Detroit Shock x 24 10 .706 12–5 12–5 14–6
Indiana Fever x 21 13 .618 3.0 12–5 9–8 12–8
Connecticut Sun x 18 16 .529 6.0 8–9 10–7 10–10
New York Liberty x 16 18 .471 8.0 10–7 6–11 10–10
Washington Mystics o 16 18 .471 8.0 8–9 8–9 8–12
Chicago Sky o 14 20 .412 10.0 6–11 8–9 6–14

Schedule

edit

Preseason

edit
2007 Game Log: Preseason
Game Date Opponent Score High points High rebounds High assists Location/Attendance Record
1 May 5 New York W 61-60 Hardy (12) Rasmussen (7) Rasmussen (4) Arena at Harbor Yard
N/A
1-0
2 May 8 Seattle L 55-63 Douglas (16) Willingham (9) Carey (4) Mohegan Sun Arena
5,607
1-1
3 May 15 @ San Antonio L 53-86 Whalen (14) Jones (5) Jones, Carey (2) AT&T Center
3,296
1-2

Regular season

edit
2007 Game Log: Regular Season
May
Game Date Opponent Score High points High rebounds High assists Location/Attendance Record
1 May 19 @ Washington W 89-80 Sales (20) Jones, Dydek (6) Douglas, Jones (4) Verizon Center
8,042
1-0
2 May 23 @ San Antonio L 71-74 Douglas (21) Jones (9) Douglas (8) AT&T Center
8,574
1-1
3 May 26 Los Angeles L 68-88 Sales (17) de Souza (9) Whalen (5) Mohegan Sun Arena
8,003
1-2
4 May 31 @ Chicago W 102-97 (OT) Jones (31) Jones (9) Douglas (7) UIC Pavilion
2,634
2-2
June
Game Date Opponent Score High points High rebounds High assists Location/Attendance Record
5 June 2 Phoenix W 76-67 Jones (24) Douglas (9) Whalen (6) Mohegan Sun Arena
8,881
3-2
6 June 8 @ Houston W 88-77 Sales (26) Dydek (11) Douglas (6) Toyota Center
7,339
4-2
7 June 10 Detroit L 74-79 Jones (20) Dydek (9) Jones (5) Mohegan Sun Arena
7,724
4-3
8 June 13 @ Minnesota L 73-77 (OT) Jones (22) Jones (10) Douglas (6) Target Center
9,382
4-4
9 June 15 @ Detroit L 72-75 Sales (18) Dydek (8) Whalen (5) Palace of Auburn Hills
8,484
4-5
10 June 17 Chicago L 74-87 Jones (22) Jones (12) Douglas (5) Mohegan Sun Arena
7,614
4-6
11 June 20 New York L 73-76 Douglas, Sales (17) Whalen (8) Whalen (10) Mohegan Sun Arena
6,154
4-7
12 June 22 @ Indiana W 78-74 Douglas (30) Dydek (10) Whalen (7) Conseco Fieldhouse
7,240
5-7
13 June 23 San Antonio L 58-71 Douglas, Whalen (15) Dydek (8) Douglas (3) Mohegan Sun Arena
6,887
5-8
14 June 26 Washington L 75-91 Douglas (19) Dydek (10) Whalen (6) Mohegan Sun Arena
6,353
5-9
15 June 27 @ Detroit L 74-77 Jones (16) Jones (9) Douglas, Whalen (4) Palace of Auburn Hills
8,521
5-10
16 June 29 Indiana W 72-67 Douglas (22) Dydek (13) Whalen (7) Mohegan Sun Arena
7,617
6-10
July
Game Date Opponent Score High points High rebounds High assists Location/Attendance Record
17 July 6 @ Phoenix L 109-111 (2 OT) Jones, Sales (22) Rasmussen (13) Jones (6) US Airways Center
7,131
6-11
18 July 7 @ Los Angeles W 110-89 Douglas (28) Dydek (7) Whalen (8) STAPLES Center
8,769
7-11
19 July 11 @ Seattle W 76-63 Douglas (17) Jones (9) Whalen, Douglas (4) KeyArena
10,891
8-11
20 July 12 @ Sacramento W 82-78 (OT) Sales (23) Dydek (9) Whalen (8) ARCO Arena
6,498
9-11
21 July 17 Minnesota W 84-79 Douglas (22) Sales, Dydek,
Willingham (5)
Whalen, Sales (4) Mohegan Sun Arena
8,253
10-11
22 July 20 Seattle W 76-58 Whalen (19) Jones (10) Douglas (6) Mohegan Sun Arena
9,003
11-11
23 July 22 Houston W 81-79 Douglas (25) Douglas, Whalen,
Dydek (6)
Whalen (6) Mohegan Sun Arena
7,869
12-11
24 July 24 Detroit L 88-92 Whalen (33) de Souza (9) Whalen (7) Mohegan Sun Arena
8,192
13-11
25 July 26 New York W 79-75 Whalen (20) Whalen, de Souza (9) Whalen (8) Mohegan Sun Arena
N/A
14-11
26 July 29 @ New York L 67-61 Douglas (26) Maltsi (8) Jones (4) Madison Square Garden
8,303
14-12
27 July 31 Chicago W 74-56 Douglas (18) Jones (9) Sales (5) Mohegan Sun Arena
8,048
15-12
August
Game Date Opponent Score High points High rebounds High assists Location/Attendance Record
28 August 4 Indiana W 84-59 Douglas (19) Dydek (9) Douglas (5) Mohegan Sun Arena
9,493
16-12
29 August 7 Sacramento L 79-81 Whalen, Jones (17) Jones (6) Whalen (7) Mohegan Sun Arena
8,930
16-13
30 August 11 @ Chicago W 88-66 Dydek (18) Dydek (6) Whalen (7) UIC Pavilion
4,261
17-13
31 August 14 @ Washington L 64-65 Dydek (17) Dydek (11) Whalen (5) Verizon Center
N/A
17-14
32 August 15 @ Indiana W 77-74 Sales (32) de Souza (6) Rasmussen (3) Conseco Fieldhouse
6,433
18-14
33 August 17 @ New York L 66-74 Douglas (22) Whalen, Rasmussen,
Willingham (5)
Whalen (4) Madison Square Garden
8,622
18-15
34 August 19 Washington L 74-76 Douglas (21) Douglas (9) Whalen (7) Mohegan Sun Arena
9,518 (sellout)
18-16

Playoffs

edit

In the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, the Sun had to face the Indiana Fever. Since the Fever had the better record, the series would be played with game 1 at Connecticut, game 2 at Indiana, and game 3 (if needed) at Indiana. The Sun won the first game at home in triple-overtime, but the Fever went on to win games two and three and take the series.

  • For the fifth consecutive season, the Sun qualify for the Eastern Conference Playoffs.
  • For the first time in franchise history, the Sun lose in the first round of the playoffs and do not advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
2007 Game Log: Postseason
Eastern Conference Semifinals
Game Date Opponent Score High points High rebounds High assists Location/Attendance Series
1 August 23 Indiana W 93-88 (3 OT) Sales (25) Dydek (11) Whalen (10) Mohegan Sun Arena
7,271
1-0
2 August 25 @ Indiana L 59-78 Douglas (11) Sales (6) Carey (4) Conseco Fieldhouse
7,298
1-1
3 August 27 @ Indiana L 88-93 (OT) Douglas (27) Whalen (10) Douglas, Jones (5) Conseco Fieldhouse
6,012
1-2

Depth

edit
Pos. Starter Bench Inactive
C Margo Dydek Érika de Souza Sandrine Gruda
PF Asjha Jones Kristen Rasmussen -- Le'Coe Willingham
SF Nykesha Sales Evanthia Maltsi -- Megan Mahoney
SG Katie Douglas Kamesha Hairston Cori Chambers
PG Lindsay Whalen Jamie Carey Erin Phillips

Player stats

edit

Awards and honors

edit
  • Katie Douglas and Asjha Jones were named reserves for the 2007 Eastern Conference All-Star Team.
  • Katie Douglas was named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team for the third consecutive year.
  • Margo Dydek was named to the WNBA All-Defensive Second Team for the second consecutive year.
  • Katie Douglas was named to the All-WNBA Second Team.
  • Asjha Jones was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week of June 4, 2007.
  • Lindsay Whalen was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week of July 23, 2007.
  • Katie Douglas was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week of July 30, 2007.

References

edit
edit