2007 Connecticut Sun season

2007 Connecticut Sun season
Head Coach	Mike Thibault
Arena	Mohegan Sun Arena
Attendance	7,970 per game
Results
Record	18–16 (.529)
Place	3rd (Eastern)
Playoff Finish	Lost in Eastern Conference Semi-Finals
Team Leaders
Points	Katie Douglas (17.0)
Rebounds	Margo Dydek (6.5)
Assists	Lindsay Whalen (5.0)
Connecticut Sun seasons
< 2006	2008 >

The 2007 WNBA season was their 9th season and their 5th in Connecticut. The Sun attempted to return to the postseason for the fifth consecutive season and were successful.

Offseason

Dispersal Draft

Based on the Sun's 2006 record, they would pick 13th (last) in the Charlotte Sting dispersal draft. The Sun waived their pick.

Transactions

• June 8: The Sun sign Evanthia Maltsi.
• May 18: The Sun waive Laura Summerton.
• May 13: The Sun waive Kiera Hardy.
• May 11: The Sun waive Vanessa Gidden and Brooke Smith.
• May 8: The Sun waive Adrienne Davie.
• April 29: The Sun sign Brooke Smith.
• April 25: The Sun waive Monique Martin.
• March 5: The Sun re-sign Laura Summerton.
• February 22: The Sun re-sign Jamie Carey.
• February 21: The Sun trade Taj McWilliams-Franklin to the Los Angeles Sparks for the rights to Erika de Souza and the Sparks’ first pick (12th overall) in the 2007 draft.
• February 21: The Sun sign free agent Kristen Rasmussen.
• February 7: The Sun re-sign Katie Douglas and Le'Coe Willingham.

Roster

Connecticut Sun roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Height Weight From 1.5 !G 10 USA ! Carey, Jamie 66 !5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) 135 lb (61 kg) Texas 1.5 !G 23 USA ! Chambers, Cori 69 !5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 155 lb (70 kg) Georgia 6.0 !C 7 France ! Gruda, Sandrine (DP) 76 !6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) – France 5.5 !F/C 41 Brazil ! DeSouza, Erika 76 !6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Brazil 2.5 !G/F 32 USA ! Douglas, Katie (C) 72 !6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Purdue 6.0 !C 12 Poland ! Dydek, Margo 86 !7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) 223 lb (101 kg) Poland 2.5 !G/F 21 USA ! Hairston, Kamesha 72 !6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 146 lb (66 kg) Temple 4.0 !F 15 USA ! Jones, Asjha 74 !6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 196 lb (89 kg) Connecticut 2.5 !G/F 24 USA ! Mahoney, Megan 72 !6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Kansas State 2.5 !G/F 9 Greece ! Maltsi, Evanthia 71 !5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Greece 1.5 !G 31 Australia ! Phillips, Erin  67 !5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) 162 lb (73 kg) Australia 4.0 !F 52 USA ! Rasmussen, Kristen 76 !6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 172 lb (78 kg) Michigan 2.5 !G/F 42 USA ! Sales, Nykesha (C) 72 !6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Connecticut 1.5 !G 13 USA ! Whalen, Lindsay 68 !5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) 150 lb (68 kg) Minnesota 4.0 !F 43 USA ! Willingham, Le'Coe 72 !6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Auburn	Head coach Mike Thibault (St. Martin's University) Assistant coaches Scott Hawk (Nebraska-Omaha) Bernadette Mattox (Georgia) Athletic trainer Jeremy Norman (Keene State College) Strength and conditioning coach Jodi Hopkins (Ohio State) Legend (C) Team captain (FA) Free agent (IN) Inactive (S) Suspended Injured

Season standings

Eastern Conference	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Conf.
Detroit Shock x	24	10	.706	–	12–5	12–5	14–6
Indiana Fever x	21	13	.618	3.0	12–5	9–8	12–8
Connecticut Sun x	18	16	.529	6.0	8–9	10–7	10–10
New York Liberty x	16	18	.471	8.0	10–7	6–11	10–10
Washington Mystics o	16	18	.471	8.0	8–9	8–9	8–12
Chicago Sky o	14	20	.412	10.0	6–11	8–9	6–14

Schedule

Preseason

2007 Game Log: Preseason
Game Date Opponent Score High points High rebounds High assists Location/Attendance Record 1 May 5 New York W 61-60 Hardy (12) Rasmussen (7) Rasmussen (4) Arena at Harbor Yard N/A 1-0 2 May 8 Seattle L 55-63 Douglas (16) Willingham (9) Carey (4) Mohegan Sun Arena 5,607 1-1 3 May 15 @ San Antonio L 53-86 Whalen (14) Jones (5) Jones, Carey (2) AT&T Center 3,296 1-2

Playoffs

In the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, the Sun had to face the Indiana Fever. Since the Fever had the better record, the series would be played with game 1 at Connecticut, game 2 at Indiana, and game 3 (if needed) at Indiana. The Sun won the first game at home in triple-overtime, but the Fever went on to win games two and three and take the series.

• For the fifth consecutive season, the Sun qualify for the Eastern Conference Playoffs.
• For the first time in franchise history, the Sun lose in the first round of the playoffs and do not advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

2007 Game Log: Postseason

Eastern Conference Semifinals Game Date Opponent Score High points High rebounds High assists Location/Attendance Series 1 August 23 Indiana W 93-88 (3 OT) Sales (25) Dydek (11) Whalen (10) Mohegan Sun Arena 7,271 1-0 2 August 25 @ Indiana L 59-78 Douglas (11) Sales (6) Carey (4) Conseco Fieldhouse 7,298 1-1 3 August 27 @ Indiana L 88-93 (OT) Douglas (27) Whalen (10) Douglas, Jones (5) Conseco Fieldhouse 6,012 1-2

Depth

Pos.	Starter	Bench	Inactive
C	Margo Dydek	Erika DeSouza	Sandrine Gruda
PF	Asjha Jones	Kristen Rasmussen -- Le'Coe Willingham
SF	Nykesha Sales	Evanthia Maltsi -- Megan Mahoney
SG	Katie Douglas	Kamesha Hairston	Cori Chambers
PG	Lindsay Whalen	Jamie Carey	Erin Phillips

Player stats

• http://www.wnba.com/sun/stats/2007/

Awards and honors

• Katie Douglas and Asjha Jones were named reserves for the 2007 Eastern Conference All-Star Team.
• Katie Douglas was named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team for the third consecutive year.
• Margo Dydek was named to the WNBA All-Defensive Second Team for the second consecutive year.
• Katie Douglas was named to the All-WNBA Second Team.
• Asjha Jones was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week of June 4, 2007.
• Lindsay Whalen was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week of July 23, 2007.
• Katie Douglas was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week of July 30, 2007.