New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Sun forced to make tough roster decisions
The Connecticut Sun did most of their heavy lifting early in the offseason. There was the blockbuster for three-time All-Star DeWanna Bonner, followed by a series of smaller additions — through free agency, trades and the draft — to supplement the roster.
With the team’s core in place, head coach and general manager Curt Miller had hoped to use training camp to determine the final few spots. But he never got the chance.
The Sun waived four players, including Juicy Landrum, their third-round pick out of Baylor (35th overall). Those moves were announced Monday, one day before the deadline that was agreed upon by the WNBA and its players’ union for teams to get under the salary cap.
This ensured players could start getting paid June 1, but it put all 12 teams in a tough spot. Landrum, and the Sun’s three other cuts — Jacki Gemelos, Jazmon Gwathmey and Megan Huff, all training camp signees — didn’t get even a single practice to prove they belonged.
“Trimming the roster was incredibly hard,” Sun vice president Amber Cox said. “I know Curt was very excited about every person who was coming in — it was going to be an extremely competitive camp. But from the business side to the basketball, we all have to roll with it, do the best we can and hope for the best.”
“Ultimately we have to decide, because we can’t do it all together, what skill set strength of theirs makes most sense to round out our roster,” Miller told the Associated Press.
Traditionally, teams have until the beginning of the regular season to finalize their rosters. The 2020 campaign was scheduled to tip off May 15, with training camps slated to open a month prior. But the WNBA calendar has been thrown into flux by the coronavirus.
As the league continues to explore a variety of contingency plans to begin playing amid the pandemic — including games at
one site, or possibly multiple sites, rather than in home arenas — players, coaches and executives are doing their best to stay in touch. For the Sun, that
means regular Zoom chats.
“This has obviously been a season like none other — we are all learning as we go, doing virtual team meetings, ball handling sessions,” Cox said.
Kaila Charles, drafted in the second round (23rd overall) from Maryland,
was one of the 11 players to make the team. Other new additions include four-time All-WNBA defender Briann January and former UConn star Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis. Connecticut made the WNBA Finals last season, falling to the Washington Mystics in a
decisive fifth game.
GILLESPIE SITTING OUT
Former Capital PrepHartford star and Meriden native Kiah Gillespie will skip the upcoming season, she announced earlier this week. Gillespie was drafted in the third round (32nd overall) by the Chicago Sky following a standout season at Florida State, where she averaged 15.6 points and 8.7 rebounds and was named All-ACC.
Despite that success, Gillespie found herself on the roster bubble in Chicago. By sitting out, Gillespie will have the option of playing overseas while the Sky retain her rights.