The 2003 WNBA season

2003 WNBA season

-External links:***...

 was their 5th season and their 1st in Connecticut. The Sun made the playoffs for the first time since 2000

2000 WNBA season

-External links:**...

. They would sweep the Charlotte Sting

Charlotte Sting

The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....

 in the first round, only to get swept to the eventual champion Detroit Shock

Detroit Shock

The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...

 in the conference finals.

Dispersal Draft

Based on the Sun's 2002 record, they would pick 6th in the Miami Sol

Miami Sol

The Miami Sol was a women's basketball team which joined the Women's National Basketball Association in 2000. They played their games at American Airlines Arena. The team folded after the 2002 season because of financial problems...

/Portland Fire

Portland Fire

The Portland Fire joined the Women's National Basketball Association in 2000 as the counterpart to the NBA team the Portland Trail Blazers. They played their games at Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. The team folded after the 2002 season, after just three seasons in the league...

 dispersal draft

Dispersal draft

A dispersal draft is a process in professional sports for assigning players to a new team when their current team goes out of business, consolidates with another team, or for some other reason ceases to exist. Since most sports drafts are held in North America, this is where most dispersal drafts...

. The Sun selected point guard Debbie Black

Debbie Black

Debbie Black is an assistant coach for the Ohio State University's women's basketball team and a former professional basketball player. During her professional career, Black played for the Women's National Basketball League in Australia, the American Basketball League and the Women's National...

.

WNBA Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Nationality	School/Team/Country
2	13	Courtney Coleman		Ohio State Ohio State Buckeyes The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of The Ohio State University, named after the state tree, the Buckeye. The Buckeyes participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports and the Big Ten Conference in most sports...
3	34	Lindsay Wilson		Iowa State Iowa State Cyclones The Iowa State Cyclones are the athletic teams of Iowa State University. The university is a member of the Big 12 Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams in 12 sports.*Men's sports...

Transactions

• September 23: Rebecca Lobo announced her retirement.
• May 21: The Sun waived Rasheeda Clark and Lindsey Wilson and announced the retirement of Carla McGhee.
• May 10: The Sun waived Brianne Stepherson.
• May 7: The Sun waived Natalie Powers.
• May 1: The Sun waived Davalyn Cunningham.
• February 14: The Sun traded its second round pick in the 2003 WNBA Draft to the Houston Comets
  Houston Comets
  The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
  
   in return for Rebecca Lobo.

Roster

Preseason

Game	Date	Opponent	Result	Record
1	May 6	New York New York Liberty The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...	L 81-73	0-1
2	May 11	@ Charlotte Charlotte Sting The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....	W 65-64	1-1
3	May 16	Houston Houston Comets The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...	L 72-79	1-2

Regular season

Game	Date	Opponent	Result	Record
1	May 24	Los Angeles Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...	L 73-82	0-1
2	May 30	@ Houston Houston Comets The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...	W 91-83	1-1
3	June 1	@ San Antonio San Antonio Silver Stars The San Antonio Silver Stars are a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; the team moved to San Antonio...	W 83-64	2-1
4	June 5	@ Detroit Detroit Shock The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...	L 89-103	2-2
5	June 7	Houston Houston Comets The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...	W 65-58	3-2
6	June 13	Washington Washington Mystics The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...	W 84-70	4-2
7	June 14	@ Cleveland Cleveland Rockers This article is about the defunct WNBA team; for the American Basketball Association team, see Cleveland Rockers .The Cleveland Rockers were a Women's National Basketball Association team that played from 1997 until 2003. The Rockers were one of the original eight franchises of the WNBA, which...	L 56-84	4-3
8	June 18	Cleveland Cleveland Rockers This article is about the defunct WNBA team; for the American Basketball Association team, see Cleveland Rockers .The Cleveland Rockers were a Women's National Basketball Association team that played from 1997 until 2003. The Rockers were one of the original eight franchises of the WNBA, which...	W 70-57	5-3
9	June 20	@ Indiana Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...	L 74-84	5-4
10	June 22	Detroit Detroit Shock The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...	L 73-82 (OT)	5-5
11	June 24	@ Washington Washington Mystics The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...	W 65-63	6-5
12	June 26	Indiana Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...	L 90-94 (OT)	6-6
13	June 28	@ Charlotte Charlotte Sting The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....	L 55-69	6-7
14	July 1	@ New York New York Liberty The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...	L 64-90	6-8
15	July 2	Cleveland Cleveland Rockers This article is about the defunct WNBA team; for the American Basketball Association team, see Cleveland Rockers .The Cleveland Rockers were a Women's National Basketball Association team that played from 1997 until 2003. The Rockers were one of the original eight franchises of the WNBA, which...	W 64-57	7-8
16	July 4	Sacramento Sacramento Monarchs The Sacramento Monarchs were a basketball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 until folding on November 20, 2009...	W 69-67	8-8
17	July 6	New York New York Liberty The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...	W 62-58	9-8
18	July 8	@ Detroit Detroit Shock The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...	L 50-66	9-9
19	July 10	@ Minnesota Minnesota Lynx The Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season...	L 75-83	9-10
20	July 17	Seattle Seattle Storm The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...	L 65-67	9-11
21	July 19	@ Phoenix Phoenix Mercury The Phoenix Mercury is a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; it is one of the eight original franchises...	W 75-67	10-11
22	July 20	@ Los Angeles Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...	W 76-73	11-11
23	July 23	Minnesota Minnesota Lynx The Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season...	W 84-70	12-11
24	July 26	Charlotte Charlotte Sting The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....	W 74-70	13-11
25	August 1	Washington Washington Mystics The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...	L 45-48	13-12
26	August 3	Indiana Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...	W 66-55	14-12
27	August 5	Detroit Detroit Shock The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...	L 61-78	14-13
28	August 9	@ Charlotte Charlotte Sting The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....	L 68-69	14-14
29	August 12	New York New York Liberty The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...	L 73-74	14-15
30	August 16	@ New York New York Liberty The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...	W 84-71	15-15
31	August 19	@Cleveland Cleveland Rockers This article is about the defunct WNBA team; for the American Basketball Association team, see Cleveland Rockers .The Cleveland Rockers were a Women's National Basketball Association team that played from 1997 until 2003. The Rockers were one of the original eight franchises of the WNBA, which...	L 52-69	15-16
32	August 22	Charlotte Charlotte Sting The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....	W 63-55	16-16
33	August 23	@ Washington Washington Mystics The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...	W 74-67	17-16
34	August 25	@ Indiana Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...	W 72-62	18-16

Playoffs

In the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, the Sun had to face the Charlotte Sting. Since the Sting had the better record, the series would be played with game 1 at Connecticut, game 2 at Charlotte, and game 3 (if needed) at Charlotte. The Sun swept the Sting and advanced to the second round.
In the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, the Sun had to face the Detroit Shock. Since the Shock had the better record, the series would be played with game 1 at Connecticut and games 2 and 3 (if needed) at Detroit. The Shock swept the Sun and game 3 was not needed.

Game	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game Type
1	August 28	Charlotte Charlotte Sting The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....	W 68-66	1-0	Eastern Conf. Semi-Finals, Game 1
2	August 30	@ Charlotte Charlotte Sting The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....	W 68-62	2-0	Eastern Conf. Semi-Finals, Game 2
3	September 5	Detroit Detroit Shock The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...	L 63-73	2-1	Eastern Conference Finals, Game 1
4	September 7	@ Detroit Detroit Shock The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...	L 73-79	2-2	Eastern Conference Finals, Game 2

Depth

Pos.	Starter	Bench	Inactive
C Center (basketball) The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...	Taj McWilliams-Franklin	Jessie Hicks
PF Power forward (basketball) Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...	Brooke Wyckoff Brooke Wyckoff Brooke Wyckoff is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'1" forward from Florida State University, Wyckoff played in the WNBA from 2001 to 2009, competing for the Orlando Miracle, the Connecticut Sun, and the Chicago Sky...	Wendy Palmer Wendy Palmer-Daniel -External links:***...  -- Rebecca Lobo Rebecca Lobo Rebecca Rose Lobo-Rushin is an American television basketball analyst and a former player in the professional Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 to 2003...
SF Small forward The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...	Katie Douglas Katie Douglas Kathryn Elizabeth “Katie” Douglas is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever in the WNBA...	Courtney Coleman
SG Shooting guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...	Nykesha Sales Nykesha Sales Nykesha Simone Sales is a former professional basketball player in the WNBA, most recently for the Connecticut Sun. Her primary position is the small forward. Her second position is shooting guard. In 1999 Sales was added to the roster of the USA FIBA Senior National Team team...	Adrienne Johnson
PG Point guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...	Shannon Johnson Shannon Johnson Shannon Regina Johnson is an American basketball player who last played for the Seattle Storm in the WNBA.-Career:...	Debbie Black Debbie Black Debbie Black is an assistant coach for the Ohio State University's women's basketball team and a former professional basketball player. During her professional career, Black played for the Women's National Basketball League in Australia, the American Basketball League and the Women's National...

Awards and honors

• Shannon Johnson
  Shannon Johnson
  Shannon Regina Johnson is an American basketball player who last played for the Seattle Storm in the WNBA.-Career:...
  
   and Nykesha Sales
  Nykesha Sales
  Nykesha Simone Sales is a former professional basketball player in the WNBA, most recently for the Connecticut Sun. Her primary position is the small forward. Her second position is shooting guard. In 1999 Sales was added to the roster of the USA FIBA Senior National Team team...
  
  were named to the WNBA All-Star team.
• Nykesha Sales was given the Off Season Community Assist Award.

External links