Sun, Miller face tough roster decisions

UNCASVILLE — Nia Clouden walked out of the player tunnel and into the bright lights of Mohegan Sun Arena. Over 3,000 fans were in attendance. The warm-up music was blasting, and it all felt surreal. Her first game as a professional women’s basketball player.

“It’s my first WNBA game so I was kinda taking it all in and it was crazy,”

Coulden said.

The 22-year-old was Connecticut’s first-round draft pick three weeks ago and was the first player off the bench in Sunday’s preseason game against Atlanta.

Yet, she’s one of 10 players fighting for the Sun’s five open roster spots during the final week of training camp.

Connecticut currently has 15 players at training camp and is still missing 12-year veteran DeWanna Bonner who is playing overseas (there is no timeline for when she’ll return to Connecticut). Six of the Sun’s veterans — Jonquel Jones, Brionna Jones,

Alyssa Thomas, Courtney Williams, Jasmine Thomas and Bonner — are protected and have guaranteed spots on the 11-player roster.

The other 10, including Clouden, are left to the mercy of remaining salary cap room to make up the team’s reserves. Connecticut head coach and general manager Curt Miller has until May 5 to make final decisions on who gets a spot on the opening day roster and who will get cut.

“I’ve been committed to creating as competitive as a training camp as we could create and let those battles play out,” Miller said. “I’ve never wanted our young pros to get complacent. I wanted them to be fighting for their spot each and every year. … It’s really difficult because I believe all 15, every single one of the people currently in our camp has the talent to be on a WNBA roster.”

Sunday’s preseason 94-78 win over the Dream was the only live-game audition the 10 players in contention for roster spots will get this spring. In a game that won’t count for or against Connecticut and Atlanta ahead of next weekend’s season opener

Miller