Bria Hartley Should Be Key Retention Target of Sun This Offseason

The Connecticut Sun would be wise to bring back the veteran.

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The Connecticut Sun are in a bit of a rebuilding period, as most of their roster is made up of rookies. That resulted in the team struggling all season long to secure wins.

With such a young core, it is vital for the team to have a few veterans that make up the roster in order to have some stability on both ends of the court. While a few returners like Marina Mabrey and Tina Charles remain big names for the team, Bria Hartley is a player who can step up when it counts.

Traded to the team midway through the 2022 campaign, Hartley has eight seasons in the league under her belt. With three years spent with the Washington Mystics, three with the New York Liberty, one with the Phoenix Mercury and another with the Indiana Fever, she is full of experience to help guide the younger players on her team. 

After two seasons away from the WNBA because she was recovering from a torn ACL she suffered during that 2022 season, she returned to the Sun and provided good minutes for Connecticut throughout the year.

Averaging 8.9 points and 3.1 assists per game, the veteran helped the Sun’s offense when she was on her game. As the team fought with inconsistent offensive players all season long, Hartley had a few moments where she was able to bring home a win for her team. In one of their final wins of the season, Hartley scored 23 points against the Chicago Sky and added four assists.

Sun Desperately Need To Find On-Court Leadership This Offseason

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If Hartley sticks with the Sun this offseason, she could be a key piece in this rebuild. After spending a year with this rookie core, another season with them could allow her to become a solid leader for this group as they figure out their own professional journeys.

Hartley has been a solid player during her career. In 2014, she was named to the All-Rookie Team and in 2020 she matched the WNBA record for most games with at least 25 points off the bench in a season with two.

At the age of 32, she will have to rehab from a torn mensicus she suffered to close this season. While that is another knee procedure she is getting done, it's much less severe than the ACL surgery and recovery, so she's expected to be ready for the start of the 2026 campaign.

The Sun have a lot of work to do both offensively and defensively, but with help from players like Hartley, the team may be able to find some harmony and bring it to the court in 2026. 

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