The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut. The Sun compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team is currently the only major league professional sports team based in Connecticut.
The Washington Mystics are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Mystics compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded prior to the 1998 season, and is owned by Ted Leonsis through Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which also owns the Mystics' NBA counterpart, the Washington Wizards. The team plays in the Entertainment and Sports Arena in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington DC. Sheila C. Johnson, co-founder of BET and ex-wife of Charlotte Sting owner Robert L. Johnson, is the managing partner.
Asjha Takera Jones is a former American professional women's basketball power forward and coach who is now on the staff of the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In 2019, she became the first person to win a WNBA title as both a player and a coach.
Vanessa Nygaard is a professional basketball coach and former player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is the former head coach for the Phoenix Mercury.
Jennifer Marie Rizzotti is a retired American collegiate and professional basketball player, and former Division I coach at George Washington University. She is the president of the Connecticut Sun. Rizzotti was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
Michael Francis Thibault is an American former basketball head coach and current basketball general manager. He coached the Connecticut Sun of the WNBA, and the Washington Mystics. In 2013, Thibault became the all-time WNBA leader with his 212th head-coaching victory.
Beth Cunningham, is the head coach of the Missouri State women's basketball team.
The 2008 WNBA season was the 12th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. It was the first WNBA season with a franchise in Atlanta as the Dream were announced in late 2007.
Curt Miller is an American basketball executive and coach who is the Executive Vice-President and General Manager of the Dallas Wings of the WNBA. He most recently served as the head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks from 2023–2024. Other previous head coaching positions include the Connecticut Sun (2016–2022), Bowling Green State University (2001–2012), and Indiana University (2012–2014). Miller also served as an assistant coach to Brian Agler with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2015.
Marynell Meadors is an American women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She most recently served as head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in 1997.
The 2009 WNBA Season was the 13th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. It is the first WNBA season without a Houston franchise, the Comets having folded in December 2008. The season ended with the Phoenix Mercury winning their second championship in three years.
The 2012 WNBA season was the 16th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began on May 18 and concluded on September 23 and playoffs started on September 27 and concluded on October 21.
Shelley Patterson is an American basketball coach, currently an assistant coach with the Washington Mystics of the WNBA.
Marianne Crawford Stanley is an American basketball coach. She previously served as the head coach of the Washington Mystics and Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
The 2019 WNBA season was the 23rd season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Seattle Storm were the defending champions. The regular season began on May 24, with the Atlanta Dream hosting the Dallas Wings and the New York Liberty hosting the Indiana Fever. The season ended with the Washington Mystics securing their first WNBA Title over the Connecticut Sun three games to two, in a closely contested finals. Emma Meesseman was named Finals MVP and teammate Elena Delle Donne was named regular season MVP.
The 2019 WNBA season was the 22nd for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Mystics winning their first WNBA Championship.
Jessie Kenlaw worked in collegiate and professional women's basketball between the 1970s to 2000s. After playing a year of collegiate basketball with Savannah State University, Kenlaw started playing professional basketball with the Women's Professional Basketball League in the late 1970s. Kenlaw later briefly joined the Ladies Professional Basketball Association and Women's American Basketball Association during the early 1980s. For her coaching career, Kenlaw started as an assistant coach for Lamar University from 1987 to 1988. After moving to the University of Houston in 1988, Kenlaw continued working as an assistant coach before being named head coach of the Houston Cougars women's basketball team in 1990. As Houston's head coach from 1990 to 1998, Kenlaw had 104 wins and 123 losses.
Jim Lewis is a former collegiate and WNBA basketball coach. After completing assistant coaching positions during the 1970s, Lewis was the head coach of the South Lakes High School boys' basketball team in the early 1980s. In collegiate basketball, Lewis obtained 201 wins and 107 losses as the George Mason Patriots women's basketball head coach from 1984 to 1997. He then went to the WNBA as the first head coach of the Washington Mystics for the 1998 season. Between the 2000s and 2010s, Lewis held assistant coaching positions with the Minnesota Lynx, Indiana Fever and Los Angeles Sparks. During this time period, Lewis was the head coach for the Fordham Rams women's basketball team, T.C. Williams High School girls basketball team, and Georgetown Hoyas women's basketball team.
The 2023 Washington Mystics season was the franchise's 26th season in the Women's National Basketball Association, and their first season under head coach Eric Thibault.
Carly Thibault-DuDonis is the women's basketball coach for Fairfield University since 2022. As a basketball player at Monmouth University, Thibault was named All-Northeast Conference in 2013 and scored 730 points overall. Her 106 career three points were in the top five for the school during 2024. Thibault began her career with Florida State University as their Director of Recruiting Operations during 2013. Throughout the remainder of the 2010s, she held assistant coaching positions with Eastern Michigan University, Mississippi State University and the University of Minnesota.
