What Direction Should Connecticut Sun Go In This Offseason To Have Success In 2026?

After a forgettable 2025 season, the Connecticut Sun have a lot of work to do before next year.

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The Connecticut Sun are officially in the offseason since the team didn’t make the playoffs in 2025. After a forgettable campaign, this is a crucial time for the team to organize their offense and field a stable roster that can rack up more wins in 2026. 

After going 11-33 this year, the Sun have some work to do. The season saw a lot of inconsistent performances on offense and a struggle to keep up on defense as some of their key players are now up for grabs as free agents. Connecticut is at risk of losing Lindsay Allen, Tina Charles, Bria Hartley, Marina Mabrey, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Haley Peters and Mamignan Toure.

Charles and Mabrey were critical to the Sun this year, almost every off game these players had led to a loss for the team. Both athletes are unrestricted as of Sept. 15, and rumors swirl around Charles that she may be retiring from the league altogether. 

The Sun needs to focus on building a strong offense around their core rookies, who often led the team this year on the court. They have solid selections for the upcoming draft that include two first-round picks, one second-round pick and one third-round pick. If they capitalize with the right selections, then they will have a much better roster to build around going forward.

The signing of Charles last offseason and the addition of All-Star rookie Leila Lacan led to some promise for the Sun, but ultimately the team was unreliable over the course of the season. There are question marks surrounding Connecticut now regarding who will remain on the roster to where the franchise will end up as a potential sale continues to be discussed.

Connecticut Sun's Rookie Roster May Just Be the Future of the Franchise

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Despite those uncertainties, they have multiple rookies under contract for next season, with Lacan, Aneesah Morrow, Saniya Rivers, Aaliyah Edwards and Rayah Marshal all set to return in 2026. These rookies were a bright spot in an otherwise dark season, as this year's winning percentage was the lowest in franchise history.

While a young roster can be exciting, there still needs to be pillars for the team to stand on. The strength behind Mabrey and Charles is critical to the team, and without them, the 2026 season may fall apart before it even begins.

Hopefully, these young players can grow and take charge when they hit the court next year. But the offseason focus for the Sun needs to be on building a solid roster around those breakout rookies so they can have a much better season in 2026 than they had in 2025.

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