Former UConn standout welcomes move to CT Sun

Moriah Jefferson is back in the state where she had so much basketball success.

Jefferson, part of the class that won four consecutive NCAA titles with the UConn women's basketball team, was recently traded to the Connecticut Sun. Her WNBA career will take to the place that's like home.

“Anytime you're in Connecticut, it feels like a family,” Jefferson told reporters on a Zoom call this week.

The Dallas native came to Storrs in 2012 and quickly became a key player in the Huskies' historic run. She was the point guard dishing dimes to UConn legend Breanna Stewart, the duo leading the Huskies to a 151-5 record and an unprecedented run from 2012 to 2016.

The third member of that historic class was Morgan Tuck, who is now the Sun's Director of Franchise Development and assistant General Manager. They were together in Storrs when UConn honored the 2014, 2013, 2004, and 2003 title teams in late January.

Just a few days later, Jefferson was traded to the Sun.

“I was actually here the week before everything happened for the UConn reunion for the championship. So seeing everybody was great, and then getting the news, for me it was just kind of like a full circle moment,” Jefferson said.

“Especially with Morgan. You know, being here as the assistant GM is, you can't really ask for a better situation for me. Our four years in college are incredible. So, being so close to UConn, I think it's going to be a good opportunity for me to get a chance to kind of go back there as well.”

Jefferson left her mark at UConn, finishing with 1,532 points. She is the program's all-time assists leader with 659 and is second in steals with 353.

She averaged above 10 points per game and shot above 55 percent from the field each season with UConn. Most impressively, the two-time Nancy Lieberman award winner averaged 4.9 assists per game during her sophomore and junior seasons, then bumped that stat to 5.5 assists per game her senior year.

Jefferson also shot 49.6 percent clip from the perimeter her junior year and 43.1 percent as a senior. She remained active on the defensive end, averaging 2.6 steals per game or better from her sophomore to senior year.

Stewart was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft and Jefferson went No. 2 to the San Antonio Stars (now the Las Vegas Aces). Despite her high draft position, Jefferson has played for five teams in eight seasons.

“I've been through a lot, you know, it's not an easy league to stay in and being able to play with so many different great players, I think has grown my game a lot,” Jefferson said. “As a person just learning how to stay grounded, no matter what situations that I'm in.”

Following two seasons with the Stars/Aces (201618), Jefferson played for the Dallas Wings (201922), Minnesota Lynx (2022) and the Phoenix Mercury (2023).

Jefferson averaged a career-high of 13.1 points per game her rookie season and made the WNBA AllRookie team. She then incurred a right knee injury and had a surgery to fix the cartilage in the knee on Sept. 27, 2017. After Jefferson was traded to the Wings, she sat out the 2019 year for rehab. Nine games into her debut season with Dallas (2020), Jefferson suffered another season-ending injury to her right knee.

“I'm going to show up every single day work as hard as I can, play as hard as I can. I know that I've dealt with injuries in the past but my biggest thing was not letting that affect my confidence. I think being fully healthy. my game was able to show more,” Jefferson said.

“For me, keeping that confidence level high is always important and I've done my best to do that.”

The 5-foot-6 point guard averaged careerhighs in assists (4.9) and three-point percentage (47.4) while playing for the Lynx.

“I think the game has just kind of slowing down,” she said. “When you continue to play in this league, there's so many different players that are coming in and out. But for me, just the leadership aspect, I'm learning how to slow the game down, get into my spots and be more aggressive offensively as well as defensively.

“Two years ago I think I had probably my best shooting percentages from the 3, so just expanding on that. Continue to move my shot further out but obviously pick and roll game is is where I thrive at.”

Along the way she's played with UConn legends Napheesa Collier and Diana Taurasi.

Jefferson saw her former teammates and many more Husky greats at UConn's special reunion in the last weekend in January. The program honored the 20-year anniversary of the 2003 and 2004 National Championship teams and the 10year anniversary of the 2013 and 2014 National Championship teams.

On Feb. 3, Jefferson was involved in a trade sending Connecticut's Rebecca Allen to the Mercury and Jefferson back to Connecticut.

Jefferson played some of her most iconic collegiate games at Gampel Pavilion. Now, she has the opportunity to perform for the Connecticut crowd at Mohegan Sun Arena.

“I think there's such a huge crossover from Suns fans and UConn fans. So for me every time I come back to Connecticut and I play in Mohegan, I always get a really good cheer from the crowd. So I'm excited to get a chance to be back here,” Jefferson said. “It's really fun to see how my game has grown from college to now and to be able to get a chance to show the fans that.”