The 2009 WNBA season was the 11th season for the Connecticut Sun franchise of the Women's National Basketball Association. It is their seventh in Connecticut. The Sun attempted to advance to the WNBA Playoffs for the seventh consecutive season, but did not qualify for the postseason.
Offseason
Dispersal Draft Based on the Sun's 2008 record, they would pick 10th in the Houston Comets dispersal draft. The Sun waived their pick.
WNBA draft The following are the Sun's selections in the 2009 WNBA draft. Round Pick Player Nationality School/team/country 1 10 Chante Black Duke 2 17 (from Minn.) Lyndra Littles Virginia 3 36 Alba Torrens SpainWNBA.com: 2009 WNBA Draft Board
Transactions July 4: The Sun waived Lauren Ervin due to the arrival of Sandrine Gruda. June 28: The Sun waived Barbara Turner due to the arrival of Anete Jēkabsone-Žogota. June 19: The Sun signed Tan White and waived Kristi Cirone. June 5: The Sun waived Lyndra Littles, Danielle Page and Carrem Gay. June 3: The Sun claimed Kiesha Brown off waivers. June 1: The Sun waived Ketia Swanier and Ashley Hayes. April 20: The Sun signed Carrem Gay to a training camp contract. April 20: The Sun announced that Tamika Raymond would sit out the 2009 season. April 13: The Sun announced Jamie Carey's retirement. April 13: The Sun signed Ashley Hayes to a training camp contract. April 10: The Sun signed Kristi Cirone to a training camp contract. February 13: The Sun signed Anete Jēkabsone-Žogota to a training camp contract. January 23: The Sun signed Lauren Ervin to a rookie-scale contract. January 21: The Sun signed Barbara Turner, Kerri Gardin, and Danielle Page for the 2009 season. January 7: The Sun signed Kerri Gardin and Danielle Page to training camp contracts. WNBA.com: 2009 WNBA Transactions
DateTradeMarch 14, 2008To Connecticut SunTo Minnesota Lynx Minnesota's second-round 2009 Draft pick and Tamika Raymond Connecticut's second-round 2009 Draft pick and Kristen Rasmussen
Free agents
Additions
Player Signed Former team Kerri Gardin January 21, 2009 re-signed Anete Jēkabsone-Žogota February 13, 2009 free agent Kiesha Brown June 3, 2009 Washington Mystics Tan White June 19, 2009 Indiana Fever
Subtractions Player Left New team Jamie Carey April 13, 2009 retired Tamika Raymond April 20, 2009 free agent Ketia Swanier June 1, 2009 Phoenix Mercury Lyndra Littles June 5, 2009 free agent Danielle Page June 5, 2009 free agent Barbara Turner June 28, 2009 free agent Lauren Ervin July 4, 2009 free agent Svetlana Abrosimova 2009 free agent
Roster
Season standings
Schedule
Preseason
|- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 1 || May 22 || 7:00pm || New York || 74-62 || Jones (11) || Black (7) || Whalen (3) || Mohegan Sun Arena 5,578 || 1–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 2 || May 27 || 7:30pm || @ Atlanta || 73-76 || Phillips (18) || Black, Ervin (6) || Swanier, Whalen (3) || Philips Arena 4,980 || 1-1 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 3 || May 31 || 7:00pm || Los Angeles || 77-80 || Phillips (11) || Littles (8) || Phillips, Swanier, Whalen (3) || Mohegan Sun Arena 6,630 || 1–2
Regular season
|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 1 || June 6 || 4:00pm || Washington || || 70-82 || Jones (22) || Whalen (6) || Whalen (4) || Mohegan Sun Arena 7,191 || 0–1 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 2 || June 7 || 4:00pm || @ New York || WCTX || 66-57 || Whalen (14) || Whalen (12) || Brown, Cirone, Whalen, Whitmore (2) || Madison Square Garden 13,397 || 1-1 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 3 || June 14 || 3:00pm || Atlanta || || 62-67 || Whalen (16) || Black (9) || Whalen (5) || Mohegan Sun Arena 6,429 || 1–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 4 || June 16 || 8:00pm || @ Chicago || || 75-78 || Jones, Whitmore (16) || Jones (5) || Whalen (8) || UIC Pavilion 2,396 || 1–3 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 5 || June 19 || 7:00pm || Chicago || || 91-61 || Jones (17) || Gardin (11) || Gardin (7) || Mohegan Sun Arena 5,892 || 2–3 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 6 || June 21 || 3:00pm || San Antonio || NBA TVWCTX || 71-58 || Jones (19) || Black (8) || Jones, Turner, Whalen (3) || Mohegan Sun Arena 6,928 || 3-3 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 7 || June 27 || 7:00pm || Atlanta || || 82-68 || Jones (24) || Jones (12) || Whalen (5) || Mohegan Sun Arena 6,264 || 4–3
|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 8 || July 2 || 7:00pm || @ Indiana || NBA TVFSI || 53-67 || Whalen (11) || Black (8) || Brown, Whalen, White (3) || Conseco Fieldhouse 6,468 || 4-4 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 9 || July 5 || 6:00pm || @ Detroit || || 95-92 (OT) || Gruda (23) || Gardin, Gruda (6) || Jones (5) || Palace of Auburn Hills 6,981 || 5–4 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 10 || July 7 || 7:30pm || @ Atlanta || || 67-72 || Jones, White (14) || Gruda, Jones, White (6) || Brown (4) || Philips Arena 6,225 || 5-5 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 11 || July 11 || 7:00pm || Detroit || NBA TVWCTX || 77-79 (OT) || Jones (23) || Jones (10) || Whalen (3) || Mohegan Sun Arena 6,342 || 5–6 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 12 || July 14 || 7:00pm || Los Angeles || ESPN2 || 82-71 || Jones (24) || Gruda (6) || Jones, Whalen (5) || Mohegan Sun Arena 6,612 || 6-6 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 13 || July 17 || 8:00pm || @ San Antonio || || 72-64 || Jones (17) || Gruda, Whalen (7) || Jones, Whalen (5) || AT&T Center 9,524 || 7–6 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 14 || July 19 || 3:00pm || Indiana || || 67-61 || Whalen (15) || Gruda (9) || Whalen (6) || Mohegan Sun Arena 6,517 || 8–6 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 15 || July 22 || 7:00pm || Sacramento || || 83-75 || Jones (28) || Jones (10) || Phillips (7) || Mohegan Sun Arena 5,675 || 9–6 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 16 || July 28 || 7:30pm|| Phoenix || ESPN2 || 80-95 || Jekabsone-Zogota (15) || Whalen (8) || Holt, Whalen (4) || Mohegan Sun Arena 7,739 || 9–7 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 17 || July 30 || 8:00pm || @ Indiana || FSI || 85-94 (OT) || Jones (21) || Gruda (10) || 5 players (3) || Conseco Fieldhouse 6,538 || 9–8
|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 18 || August 1 || 7:00pm || @ Chicago || NBA TVWCTX || 72-84 || White (16) || White (6) || Jekabsone-Zogota (6) || UIC Pavilion 3,071 || 9-9 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 19 || August 2 || 6:00pm || @ Detroit || || 83-65 || Whalen (22) || Gruda (8) || Whalen (4) || Palace of Auburn Hills 7,814 || 10–9 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 20 || August 7 || 8:00pm || @ Minnesota || NBA TVFSN-N || 88-95 || Gruda (21) || Gruda, Jones (6) || Jekabsone-Zogota (7) || Target Center 8,134 || 10-10 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 21 || August 9 || 3:00pm || Washington || || 96-67 || Whalen (16) || Holt (8) || Whalen (5) || Mohegan Sun Arena 6,528 || 11–10 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 22 || August 13 || 7:00pm || Seattle || || 64-53 || Gruda (14) || Jones (10) || Whalen (7) || Mohegan Sun Arena 6,983 || 12–10 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 23 || August 14 || 7:00pm || @ Washington || || 89-91 (2OT) || Jones (23) || Gruda (10) || Whalen (5) || Verizon Center 9,738 || 12–11 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 24 || August 19 || 7:00pm || New York || || 74-69 || Whalen (20) || Whalen (10) || White (6) || Mohegan Sun Arena 6,050 || 13–11 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 25 || August 21 || 7:30pm || @ New York || NBA TVMSG || 83-85 (OT) || Gruda (24) || Gruda (12) || Whalen (7) || Madison Square Garden 9,355 || 13–12 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 26 || August 22 || 7:00pm || Minnesota || || 98-94 || Gruda, Whalen (21) || Gruda (9) || Whalen (8) || Mohegan Sun Arena 7,803 || 14–12 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 27 || August 25 || 7:00pm || Detroit || || 70-90 || Gruda (19) || Gardin (7) || Whalen (8) || Mohegan Sun Arena 6,811 || 14–13 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 28 || August 27 || 10:00pm || @ Seattle || || 74-86 || Whalen (18) || Gardin (8) || Whalen (5) || KeyArena 6,588 || 14-14 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 29 || August 29 || 10:00pm || @ Phoenix || NBA TVWCTX || 84-95 || Jekabsone-Zogota (23) || Gardin (13) || Brown, Gardin, Whalen (3) || US Airways Center 9,977 || 14–15 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 30 || August 30 || 9:30pm || @ Los Angeles || NBA TVFSNW || 81-91 || Jekabsone-Zogota (21) || Gruda (7) || Whalen (9) || STAPLES Center 11,072 || 14–16
|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 31 || September 1 || 10:00pm || @ Sacramento || || 70-90 || Gruda, White (13) || Gruda (5) || Brown, Phillips (3) || ARCO Arena 6,015 || 14–17 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 32 || September 4 || 7:00pm || New York || NBA TVMSG || 88-85 (OT) || Jekabsone-Zogota (23) || Jekabsone-Zogota (7) || Whalen (7) || Mohegan Sun Arena 6,685 || 15–17 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 33 || September 11 || 7:00pm || @ Atlanta || || 64-88 || Gruda (16) || Gruda (6) || 4 players (2) || Philips Arena 8,644 || 15–18 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 34 || September 13 || 3:00pm || Indiana || WCTX || 95-85 || Gardin (23) || Gardin (8) || Phillips (7) || Mohegan Sun Arena 9,047 || 16–18
| All games are viewable on WNBA LiveAccess
Depth Pos.StarterBench C Sandrine Gruda Chante Black PF Asjha Jones Tamika Whitmore SF Tan White Amber Holt / Kerri Gardin SG Anete Jekabsone-Zogota Erin Phillips PG Lindsay Whalen Kiesha Brown
Regular Season Statistics
Player statistics Player GP GS MPG RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 33 8 13.0 3.2 0.2 0.39 0.82 2.9 34 0 11.6 1.6 1.1 0.38 0.09 3.8 4 0 5.8 1.3 1.0 0.50 0.00 1.8 8 0 7.0 1.6 0.0 0.13 0.00 2.0 33 23 18.1 4.3 1.2 0.76 0.73 5.5 26 25 31.2 6.3 1.3 0.88 1.58 13.5 23 7 16.5 3.2 1.9 0.39 0.09 6.0 27 16 23.9 2.9 2.2 0.33 0.00 9.4 23 23 31.6 5.9 2.4 0.87 0.57 16.7 32 18 23.1 3.2 2.1 1.34 0.09 8.1 7 0 20.6 2.1 2.0 0.71 0.00 4.0 34 34 29.4 4.6 4.6 1.26 0.15 12.3 30 15 22.0 2.7 2.2 1.17 0.30 9.5 24 1 15.7 2.2 1.0 0.38 0.13 4.4
Team statistics Team FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG Connecticut Sun .406 .316 .747 34.8 17.9 7.4 3.8 13.3 19.9 78.0 Opponents .426 .322 .792 37.5 15.4 7.3 3.7 16.2 20.1 78.1
Awards and honors Asjha Jones was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week of July 20, 2009. Sandrine Gruda was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week of August 17, 2009. Asjha Jones was named to the 2009 WNBA All-Star Team as an Eastern Conference reserve.
Attendance A sellout for a basketball game at Mohegan Sun Arena is 9,518. Regular Season AttendanceYearAverage: HomeAverage: AwayHighLowSelloutsTotal for YearWNBA Game Average 2009 6,794 (12th) 7,761 (10th) 9,047 5,675 0 115,496 8,039
References
External links