Sun's Young Core Surrounding Tina Charles and Marina Mabrey Flourishing

The Connecticut Sun have had a difficult 2025 season, but their young core has started to rapidly develop, providing some hope for the future of the franchise.

Jun 15, 2025; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey (3) and center Tina Charles (31) react after a play against the Chicago Sky in the first half at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Connecticut Sun are in the midst of one of their worst seasons in franchise history, with a 6-26 record through August 14. The team has clearly not lived up to their standards. This comes with the territory of building a young core of talent, though, with half of their roster currently being under 25 years of age.

At the center of this are veterans Tina Charles and Marina Mabrey, the two leading scorers on the Sun for the large majority of their time with the team this season. While it has been a slow development process for Connecticut and their recent draft selections, recent games have started to indicate that they may be turning the corner and developing to adapt at the WNBA level.

While this may not make an enormous impact on their 2025 campaign, it is a hugely positive sign heading into next year, especially considering how the team is set up. With seven of the team’s 12 players on the last year of their contract heading into this offseason, finding some improvement among their previous draft picks could be huge for the team’s long-term plans.

Which Rookies and Sophomores Have Stepped Up for the Sun Lately?

David Butler II-Imagn Images

One of the most notable turnarounds has been Leïla Lacan, who, in her debut WNBA season, has started to really show flashes of elite talent, especially in some of the team’s most recent matchups.

From August 5 to August 13, Lacan put up four double-digit scoring games in five appearances, including a 17-point and five-assist showing against the Chicago Sky, resulting in a 71-62 victory. After opting to stay in France for the duration of the 2024 season, it is great to see the impact Lacan has had on the Sun so early in her career.

Saniya Rivers has also started to kick things up a notch, especially against the Las Vegas Aces, where she put together 17 points on 7-10 shooting from the field, with four assists, three steals, a block and a rebound. This is exactly the type of performance Connecticut wants out of its 2025 No. 8 overall pick, especially when factoring in her defensive versatility.

Saniya Rivers last three games:

13.3 PPG
3.0 RPG
3.0 APG
3.7 STL + BLK
56/56/100% pic.twitter.com/T34PFpVGzy

— Polymarket Hoops (@PolymarketHoops) August 20, 2025

Another name who has really stepped up in this stretch is Aneesah Morrow, specifically in the game against the Golden State Valkyries, where she posted 13 points, 14 rebounds (11 defensive, three offensive), a steal and only picked up one personal foul. The 2025 No. 7 overall pick has shown progress over the course of her rookie season and will hopefully continue to make progress as she gets more experience.

Overall, this young core has started to make things interesting around the WNBA, and as they progress even further, it will be intriguing to see how the team improves in a similar fashion.