2003 Connecticut Sun season

Last updated

2003 Connecticut Sun season
Coach Mike Thibault
Arena Mohegan Sun Arena
Attendance6,023 per game
Results
Record18–16 (.529)
Place3rd (Eastern)
Playoff finishLost in Eastern Conference Finals
Team Leaders
Points Nykesha Sales (16.1)
Rebounds Taj McW.-Franklin (6.7)
Assists Shannon Johnson (5.8)

The 2003 WNBA season was their fifth season and their first in Connecticut. The Sun made the playoffs for the first time since 2000. They would sweep the Charlotte Sting in the first round, only to get swept to the eventual champion Detroit Shock in the conference finals.

Contents

Offseason

Dispersal Draft

Based on the Sun's 2002 record, they would pick 6th in the Miami Sol/Portland Fire dispersal draft. The Sun selected point guard Debbie Black.

WNBA draft

RoundPickPlayerNationalitySchool/team/country
213 Courtney Coleman Flag of the United States.svg  United States Ohio State
334 Lindsay Wilson Flag of the United States.svg  United States Iowa State

[1]

Transactions

[2]

Roster

Connecticut Sun roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#Nat.NameHeightWeightDOBFromYrs
G 24 Flag of the United States.svg Black, Debbie 5' 3" (1.6m)124 lb (56kg) Saint Joseph's
F 15 Flag of the United States.svg Coleman, Courtney 6' 0" (1.83m)170 lb (77kg) Ohio State
G/F 32 Flag of the United States.svg Douglas, Katie 6' 0" (1.83m)165 lb (75kg) Purdue
F/C 7 Flag of the United States.svg Hicks, Jessie 6' 4" (1.93m)188 lb (85kg) Maryland
G 31 Flag of the United States.svg Johnson, Adrienne 5' 10" (1.78m)154 lb (70kg) Ohio State
G 14 Flag of the United States.svg Johnson, Shannon 5' 7" (1.7m)152 lb (69kg) South Carolina
F 50 Flag of the United States.svg Lobo, Rebecca 6' 4" (1.93m)185 lb (84kg) Connecticut
F/C 11 Flag of the United States.svg McWilliams-Franklin, Taj  (C)6' 2" (1.88m)184 lb (83kg) St. Edward's College
F 3 Flag of the United States.svg Palmer-Daniel, Wendy 6' 2" (1.88m)165 lb (75kg) Virginia
G/F 42 Flag of the United States.svg Sales, Nykesha  (C)6' 0" (1.83m)175 lb (79kg) Connecticut
F 21 Flag of the United States.svg Wyckoff, Brooke 6' 1" (1.85m)183 lb (83kg) Florida State
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Athletic trainer
  • Flag of the United States.svg Jen Brodeur
Strength and conditioning coach
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (IN) Inactive
  • (S) Suspended
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured

Season standings

Eastern Conference W L PCT GB Home Road Conf.
Detroit Shock x259.735–13–412–518–6
Charlotte Sting x1816.5297.013–45–1212–12
Connecticut Sun x1816.5297.010–78–911–13
Cleveland Rockers x1717.5008.011–66–1113–11
Indiana Fever o1618.4719.011–65–1212–12
New York Liberty o1618.4719.011–65–1211–13
Washington Mystics o925.26516.03–146–117–17

Schedule

Preseason

GameDateOpponentResultRecord
1May 6 New York L 81-730-1
2May 11@ Charlotte W 65-641-1
3May 16 Houston L 72-791-2

Regular season

GameDateOpponentResultRecord
1May 24 Los Angeles L 73-820-1
2May 30@ Houston W 91-831-1
3June 1@ San Antonio W 83-642-1
4June 5@ Detroit L 89-1032-2
5June 7 Houston W 65-583-2
6June 13 Washington W 84-704-2
7June 14@ Cleveland L 56-844-3
8June 18 Cleveland W 70-575-3
9June 20@ Indiana L 74-845-4
10June 22 Detroit L 73-82 (OT)5-5
11June 24@ Washington W 65-636-5
12June 26 Indiana L 90-94 (OT)6-6
13June 28@ Charlotte L 55-696-7
14July 1@ New York L 64-906-8
15July 2 Cleveland W 64-577-8
16July 4 Sacramento W 69-678-8
17July 6 New York W 62-589-8
18July 8@ Detroit L 50-669-9
19July 10@ Minnesota L 75-839-10
20July 17 Seattle L 65-679-11
21July 19@ Phoenix W 75-6710-11
22July 20@ Los Angeles W 76-7311-11
23July 23 Minnesota W 84-7012-11
24July 26 Charlotte W 74-7013-11
25August 1 Washington L 45-4813-12
26August 3 Indiana W 66-5514-12
27August 5 Detroit L 61-7814-13
28August 9@ Charlotte L 68-6914-14
29August 12 New York L 73-7414-15
30August 16@ New York W 84-7115-15
31August 19@ Cleveland L 52-6915-16
32August 22 Charlotte W 63-5516-16
33August 23@ Washington W 74-6717-16
34August 25@ Indiana W 72-6218-16

Playoffs

In the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, the Sun had to face the Charlotte Sting. Since the Sting had the better record, the series would be played with game 1 at Connecticut, game 2 at Charlotte, and game 3 (if needed) at Charlotte. The Sun swept the Sting and advanced to the second round. In the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, the Sun had to face the Detroit Shock. Since the Shock had the better record, the series would be played with game 1 at Connecticut and games 2 and 3 (if needed) at Detroit. The Shock swept the Sun and game 3 was not needed.

GameDateOpponentResultRecordGame Type
1August 28 Charlotte W 68-661-0Eastern Conf. Semi-Finals, Game 1
2August 30@ Charlotte W 68-622-0Eastern Conf. Semi-Finals, Game 2
3September 5 Detroit L 63-732-1Eastern Conference Finals, Game 1
4September 7@ Detroit L 73-792-2Eastern Conference Finals, Game 2

Depth

Pos.StarterBenchInactive
C Taj McWilliams-Franklin Jessie Hicks
PF Brooke Wyckoff Wendy Palmer -- Rebecca Lobo
SF Katie Douglas Courtney Coleman
SG Nykesha Sales Adrienne Johnson
PG Shannon Johnson Debbie Black

Player stats

Awards and honors

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References

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