Rachid Meziane on Hot Seat Heading Into Connecticut Sun’s 2026 Campaign

Pressure is on for Connecticut Sun's head coach Rachid Meziane heading into 2026.

Aug 21, 2025; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun head coach Rachid Meziane watches from the sideline as they take on the Washington Mystics at Mohegan Sun Arena. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

When Curt Miller and Stephanie White coached the Connecticut Sun, they were consistently able to take the franchise to the playoffs each year starting in 2017, Miller's second year as head coach. Once 2022 rolled around, Miller handed the torch to White, who then coached the Sun until 2024.

Just over one year ago today, Frenchman Rachid Meziane was named Connecticut's new head coach, set to take over for Miller. By that point, the franchise had wrapped up its eighth consecutive postseason appearance with plans to extend that record.

During White's final season, the Sun finished 28-12. In 2025, that number nearly flipped when Meziane logged a dreadful record of 11-33. This was unequivocally one of the franchise's worst seasons to date. A team's success is often attributed to the head coach, but so is the downfall of a team. Unfortunately for Meziane, he is now in the hot seat ahead of the 2026 WNBA season.

Clock Is Ticking for Meziane

David Butler II-Imagn Images

Once described as a "turnaround artist" by Casey Williams of WNBA.com in 2016, there wasn't much uncertainty surrounding Miller and his ability to lead Connecticut to the playoffs. However, the Sun was eliminated from the postseason during his first season as boss. Nonetheless, he whipped his team into shape for the proceeding years.

Although Miller and Meziane have striking differences, one clear parallel can be drawn: their first season coaching Connecticut did not have a desirable outcome. If Meziane follows in Miller's footsteps, playoff contention could be in the Sun's future in 2026. Couple that with the young core of talent that serves as the team's backbone, and not all hope is lost for Meziane's team.

Until that point, he will remain in the hot seat. Expectations have been fairly high for Connecticut in recent years, so their drastic downfall in 2025 was rather shocking. His team is not without talent, and they’re certainly not without drive. The crew does, however, lack extensive professional basketball experience, aside from veterans Tina Charles and Marina Mabrey.

This is a young team trying to navigate the intricacies of playing in the WNBA, which is already caught up in chaos with the sale of the franchise and rise in WNBA salaries with a new collective bargaining agreement. Add a new head coach on top of that, and 2025 was destined to be a season of trial and error for Connecticut.

Next season will be a fresh start and a chance for Meziane to carve out a new name for himself in the WNBA. Will he capitalize on this opportunity, or will he remain in the hot seat for another year?

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