UNCASVILLE— The Sun has set for the final time in Connecticut and the Sun's 24-season run has come to an end. Defeating the Toronto Tempo 95-81, the franchise held its final send-off as it closed its final chapter in the Constitution State.
Thousands of fans poured into the casino outside of Mohegan Sun Arena prior to the Connecticut Sun's final game. In line were waves of fans dressed in orange, donning mainly Sun and UConn gear. Among those in line were Sun faithful gearing up to see their team play for the last time ... ever. The news of the Sun relocating from Connecticut to Houston has been rather somber, but the fan base was effervescent prior to tip-off on Thursday.
While the loyalists lined up for security, "Blaze," the Sun mascot, was seen interacting with the line and throwing out free T-shirts. As the line extended out to the Earth Casino, the fans went wild. Angel, a longtime supporter of the Sun, wore a homemade crochet all-orange outfit, including the names of all 14 roster members, in addition to head coach Rachid Meziane and assistant coaches. Her hat read "Final Sunset 9/24/26."
Sellout Crowd Flooded Mohegan Sun
In fact, a sellout crowd of 8,911 packed the arena for the final showing. Despite the franchise's sale to the Fertitta family, it didn't stop season ticket holders and aficionados from filling the arena. While the Sun have undergone a complete rebuild and finished with an 11-33 record this season, Connecticut was once the pinnacle of the WNBA despite never winning a championship. Established in 2003, the Sun moved its Orlando roots to the Nutmeg State and made 17 playoff appearances, including four trips to the WNBA Finals.
Connecticut Sun forward Aaliyah Edwards admitted she cried, but praised the fans for the positive energy they channeled all night.
"I think it was just the energy of the crowd pregame, just kind of seeing everyone pile in," said Edwards. "We had a sellout crowd too. Knowing that's our last, it just gave me that extra umph, that extra fire to play with tonight ... and to give the crowd a win. Give the crowd one last dub."
Mohegan Sun Arena housed some of the most prominent names, such as Alyssa Thomas, Jonquel Jones, Lindsay Whalen, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Katie Douglas, Margo Dydek, Tina Charles, Nykesha Sales, and many more.
Heading to a Sun game has been a tradition for many in the North. Although Uncasville wasn't always the optimal location for a team, Connecticut was the WNBA team of New England. Thousands of fans traveled not only from around the state, but from the other five states as well. The Sun community was out in full force on Thursday, as they were last Sunday against the Lynx. What I saw was not indicative of a fan base that's willing to let go, and the legacy of the franchise remains very much alive.
The Connecticut Sun faithful lineup for the very last time. pic.twitter.com/BfvdlwUNqL
— Sara Jane Gamelli (@SaraJGamelli) September 24, 2026
Sun Faithful Honored
Prior to team warmups, season ticket holders stood up for their years of support. That included 1-5 years, 5-10 years, and 10-20-plus years. In addition, the Sun recognized the Decade Club, fans who held season tickets for 10 years or more and the crowd gave them a standing ovation.
The Sun also welcomed back Aneesah Morrow with a tribute video. Morrow was drafted No. 7 by the Sun in 2025 and was subsequently traded to the Toronto Tempo at the 2026 WNBA trade deadline.
Phillip Young played a rendition of the national anthem with a saxophone. Meanwhile, the Sun honored former player and current UConn women's basketball assistant coach Nykesha Sales at mid-court. With President Jennifer Rizzotti on site, current Sun player Diamond Miller was recognized for her 1,000th career point, which she scored against the Lynx last Sunday.
Thousands more piled in, wearing Sun gear across the years for Fan Appreciation Night. Ranging from old to new, fans could be seen wearing Thomas, Sales, Whalen, Bonner, and Charles jerseys, along with those of current players. Hats, hoodies, pullovers, you name it, the Sun representation was loud.
The starting five were announced: Laila Lacan, Diamond Miller, Charlisse Leger-Walker, Raegan Beers, and Aaliyah Edwards. In fact, the Sun honored all 14 members of the final Connecticut Sun roster.
The remaining nine rounding out the 2026 roster included Hailey Van Lith, Ashlon Jackson, Gianna Kneepkens, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Rayah Marshall, Saniya Rivers, Kennedy Burke, Nell Angloma, and Brittney Griner.
Your final Sun starting five:
Leila Lacan
Charlisse Leger-Walker
Diamond Miller
Raegan Beers
Aliyah Edwards pic.twitter.com/psB1ysnsyQ— Sara Jane Gamelli (@SaraJGamelli) September 24, 2026
Final Tip Off
"Let's go Sun" chants rang while torches lit up as each player was introduced for the last time.
A loud roar erupted from the crowd as Leger-Walker scored the first bucket followed by another basket by Beers. Game and fan activations included Jordan's seat upgrade, the Simba Cam, and several parachute T-shirt drops from the top of the arena. The energy was palpable from pregame until the final buzzer, especially during the T-shirt tosses. The fans were passionate as they cheered for every basket and rebound, and even chanted "refs you suck" on foul calls.
I was present for the 2024 Semifinals when the Sun were defeated 3-2 against the Lynx. Thursday's crowd was just as deafening. Down 11-10 in the first, chants echoed throughout the arena after Edwards' eurostep past Laura Juškaitè. Moments later, Leger-Walker and the Sun commanded a 12-11 lead in the first.
The arena erupted with a Beers and-one second-chance opportunity to put the Sun up 21-16. The Sun ended the first quarter on a high note, leading 23-18. Edwards led all CT scorers with six points and the Shine Squad crew took the floor for the very last time. The crowd was prompted to roar 'Go' and then 'Sun' as the Shine Squad pointed to both sides of the arena.
The Final Minutes
As the game progressed into the second quarter, the 'Move with the Sun' dance game around the arena and T-shirt toss with Blaze and the squad kept the energy rolling. On the court, the offense was a bit stagnant but the crowd was revived when Edwards muscled her way inside to tie the game 30-all with 3:41 to go. She then had the putback off Kneepkens' miss to take a 32-30 lead.
They loudly booed the Tempo, especially on foul calls and when rookie Kiki Rice stepped to the charity stripe.
At halftime, the Sun held a narrow 38-36 lead and never looked back thanks to Edwards' free throw. The halftime show included the Dauntless Duo, where most fans stayed in their seats.
Subsequently, the Sun cruised to a 13-5 run over a two-minute span, which put the Sun up 53-48. Among the crowd were fans celebrating birthdays and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater New Haven were also honored.
Reality set in as Connecticut commanded a 69-57 lead over Toronto to end the third quarter. A mix of bittersweet emotions filled the air as the Sun pulled away 73-57 in the final quarter. With less than 10 minutes remaining in the game, Blaze was seen making his way up through the stands waving goodbye to the fans and giving high-fives.
This was it. With five minutes remaining, the famous noise meter went off, seizing control of the arena. The final five on the court were Van Lith, Beers, Angloma, Jackson and Kneepkens. Cellphone lights shined across the rows as the crowd lit the final sunset.
#WNBA pic.twitter.com/4aAM37Lcpr
— Geoff Magliocchetti (@GeoffJMags) September 24, 2026
The Sunset Finally Set
And the final shot in Connecticut Sun history went to Jackson, who delivered back-to-back 3-pointers to secure the Sun's last-ever win, 95-81. Nearly all the fans were on their feet and I could see fans shedding tears around me in Section 27. It was a somber celebration as personnel and players stormed the court. Brittney Griner was seen waving the Sun flag, and Rizzotti delivered nearly a five-minute heartfelt speech to the Sun faithful.
"You guys have been our family for 24 years, I know how hard this is," said an emotional Rizzotti at halfcourt. "I just want to say thank you from the time that I played here, as a player, to coming back here, to being a fan here, then coming back as team president—you never disappointed."
"You proved that Connecticut deserves a WNBA team."
At that moment, the arena filled with one of its loudest roars of the night as Rizzotti lauded the Sun loyals.
"I just want you all to know, no matter what happens from here, this team, as they move on to the next chapter of their careers—the success that all of them have in their future—you will always play a part of that, always."
Nearly all of the attendees remained in their seats for Rizzotti's speech, and the night ended in memorable fashion. After a team huddle in the locker room, Sun players returned to the court to sign autographs.
As I made my way to the postgame press conference, hundreds flooded the court for autographs. Fans of all ages congregated one last time to meet the players and bid farewell.
And that’s a wrap.
Sun 95, Tempo 81 pic.twitter.com/GP3PC7Qs58
— Sara Jane Gamelli (@SaraJGamelli) September 25, 2026
Farewell Gift: One Final Victory
The final two players to take the podium in Uncasville were Aaliyah Edwards and Ashlon Jackson. Edwards finished with 16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block, while Jackson delivered a career-high 18 points on 5-of-9 3-point shooting.
An Ontario, Canada native, Edwards shed tears at the podium. A four-year standout at UConn, she was originally drafted No. 6 overall by the Washington Mystics. In August 2025, Edwards was traded to the Sun in exchange for Jacy Sheldon and a 2026 first-round pick swap (Cotie McMahon).
With a majority of her professional basketball career spent in the Nutmeg State, Edwards delivered some wistful words.
"This fan base means so much to me," said Edwards postgame. "The support and the love has run deep since I was a freshman at UConn. For them to commute all the way down here to Uncasville, it's just love, it's mad love. To the fans, I want to thank you guys because your energy and support ... even going through such a tough season like we did. I know it's supposed to be our Sunset Season, we were trying to chase a championship...
"Mohegan Arena is so near and dear to my heart, and some of these fans have been following me since freshman year ... I didn't think the waterworks would hit me until the locker room, but it snuck up on me. It was a great moment to be out there with my teammates and the staff, and seeing nobody leave the game early. Everyone stayed out in the crowd."
Connecticut Deserves a WNBA Team
As coach Meziane took the podium one last time, he doubled down on the appetite for women's basketball to remain in Connecticut and praised the fan base.
"Every ending, it's always sad," said Meziane. "When you are living in a place where people know basketball ... seeing all of these people in the stands speaks a lot for them. You know the basketball culture they have in Connecticut, so it's a sad moment. But we were really happy to get this win also for them, it's very special."
Meziane didn't hesitate to express how much the players wanted to win for the fan base, including those who didn't receive extended minutes in the regular season. Additionally, he lauded the atmosphere and built on Rizzotti's message that basketball belongs here.
"I think there is something here very unique in Connecticut. Connecticut deserves to have a WNBA team ... I hope a team can come here and just give a chance to the people from Connecticut to attend WNBA games."
Connecticut basketball will transition to Houston, but the fans and legacy will never be forgotten.
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