Sun Send Tuck To Seattle

By Bob Phillips

Morgan Tuck, a key member of four straight NCAA championships at
UConn, has been traded to Seattle where she will join former Husky
teammates Breanna Stewart and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis along with
former Husky and legendary point gaurd Sue Bird.

UNCASVILLE—The Seattle Storm of the WNBA may as well be called “UConn West.” Take, for instance, that the Storm played their home games in 2019 at Alaska Airlines Arena located on the campus of the University of Washington. The University of Washington shares their nickname—the Huskies—with UConn. (The move is temporary. The old Key Arena in downtown Seattle has been undergoing renovations and will be called the Seattle Center Arena upon completion, with, assumedly, Seattle in play for an NBA franchise. The city has been without an NBA team since the Supersonics bolted for Oklahoma City in 2008.

The Storm will also play a portion of the 2020 season at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, about a half-hour north of Seattle. That arena’s primary tenant is the Everett Siilvertips of the Western Hockey League Seattle also has a team in the WHL—the Thunderbirds—who play their home games at the accesso ShoWare Center in nearby Kent, WA. The WHL is a major junior hockey league in which the players are given a small amount of money—a stipend, really—to cover gas, food and lodging.

But I digress… The Storm roster already includes former UConn stars Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis. Now, you can add Morgan Tuck to that list. The Storm acquired Tuck along with the No. 11 overall pick in the upcoming WNBA draft for the No. 7 pick in the draft. (Sure sounds like Seattle got the best of that deal.

“We are thrilled to welcome Morgan to Seattle Storm basketball,” said Storm CEO and General Manager Alisha Valavanis. “Morgan is an elite competitor with a championship pedigree. She adds a versatility that we believe will complement our team and our style of play.”

The 6-2 forward spent her first four seasons in the WNBA with the Sun, reaching the postseason three times. In 2019, Tuck helped Connecticut reach the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2005.

“I am super excited to be continuing my career with Seattle,” said Tuck. “I’m grateful for this new experience and the opportunity to be able to play with such great players and for a great organization. I can’t wait to get started and I know this season is going to be a special one.”

Over the last two years, Tuck has appeared in 67 of a possible 68 regular-season games with Connecticut. As a rookie, Tuck averaged 7.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in 26 games, pouring in a season-high 20 points against Seattle on June 10, 2016. To begin the 2017 season, she scored a career-high 21 points and averaged 11.8 points per game in five games as a starter.

The third overall pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft, Tuck played alongside Stewie and KML  at Connecticut, where she won four NCAA titles. In 2015 and 2016, Tuck was named to the NCAA All-Final Four Team. In her final collegiate season, she helped the Huskies compile a perfect 38-0 record and earned WBCA All-American and Associated Press Second Team All-America honors.

Sun Make Major Major Announcements

On Monday, the team made two major announcements: Jonquel Jones has signed a multi-year contract to return to the organization.

In 2019, Jones helped lead Connecticut to its first WNBA Finals appearance since 2005. The Sun posted a 23-11 regular season record and a 5-3 record during the playoffs. During the team’s post-season run, Jones averaged 17.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. The 6’6” center finished the 34-game regular season averaging 14.6 points per game, 9.7 rebounds per game and 2.0 blocks per game. Additionally, Jones was named an All-Star and member of the All-WNBA Second Team for the second time in her career. She was also named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team and led the league in both total rebounds and blocks.

“We are pumped to have JJ sign a multi-year contract to stay in Connecticut,” head coach and general manager Curt Miller said. “She has proven to be one of the most dominant and versatile players in the world. She continues to be one of the elite rebounders in the game and took a huge step on the defensive side of the ball in 2019. She is just scratching the surface and we look forward to her continued growth and leadership in 2020.”

Jones is a two-time WNBA All-Star and in 2019, was named to the All-WNBA Second Team. In 2017, Jones grabbed 403 rebounds, which set a new mark in league history. For her efforts off the bench in 2018, Jones earned WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year.

Selected sixth overall in the 2016 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks, Jones was later traded to the Sun. In her four-year career with Connecticut, Jones has recorded 1,827 career points, 1,152 rebounds and 198 blocked shots. The George Washington product amassed 1,500 points against the New York Liberty on Aug. 8 and 1,000 rebounds on Aug. 23 against the Las Vegas Aces. A highlight for Jones’ career came in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals where she posted 32 points and 18 rebounds to become the first ever to record a 30-15 game in the finals.

The multifaceted forward has shown the ability to dominate in the paint, both offensively and defensively, as well as the knack to score from behind the arc. This combined skillset allowed her to tally 43 three-pointers this season as well as grab 330 rebounds and block 68 shots.

Also on Monday, the Sun announced today Natisha Hiedeman will return in 2020. A 2019 graduate of Marquette, Hiedeman was drafted No. 18 overall in the 2019 WNBA Draft. She is the highest draft pick to come out of Marquette of any other basketball player as well as in the BIG East conference, since the realignment. In her rookie campaign, Hiedeman appeared in 20 games for the Sun averaged 3.7 points per game, 1.9 assists per game and 1.5 rebounds per game. She tallied a career high 10 points against Atlanta on July 10 and a career high nine assists against Dallas on Sept. 4. Additionally, Hiedeman saw action in seven of the Sun’s eight playoff games. She posted a playoff-high eight points against both Los Angeles and Washington.

“We are excited to have Natisha back with us for the 2020 season,” head coach and general manager Curt Miller said. “She thrived late in the year and provided us an outstanding spark as our back-up point guard. She is an excellent passer and natural scorer with range. We expect her to have a big impact on the upcoming season.”

And this morning, the team he announced that DeWanna Bonner has been acquired from the Phoenix Mercury and signed to a multi-year contract. The Mercury receive three first round picks, including the Sun’s two in 2020 (the No. 7 pick just acquired from Seattle for Tuck, and No 10 overall) as well as a pick in 2021.

Bonner brings a list of accomplishments to the Sun from her illustrious 10-year career in the league, all with the Mercury. The two-time WNBA Champion, three-time WNBA All-Star and three-time WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year adds versatility to Connecticut on both sides of the ball. In 2019, she started all 34 regular season games as well as Phoenix’s post-season game against Chicago. The Auburn University graduate averaged 17.2 points, 7.6 rebounds per game, and 2.7 assists. She finished the season ranked fifth in the league in scoring and ninth in the league in rebounds.

Throughout her career, Bonner has scored a career-high 38 points two times, grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds against Atlanta on Aug. 17, 2018 and dished out a career-high seven assists on five occasions. Most recently, she scored a season high 31 points against the Seattle Storm on May 5, 2019.

“We are ecstatic to add and welcome Dewanna Bonner and her family to the Sun,” head coach and general manager Curt Miller said. “She is an established all-star in our league and one of the most versatile players in our game. DB's talent is undeniable but most impressive to me was the praise she had for our roster and her desire to join our nucleus as we chase our first championship.”

The 6-4 forward was selected fifth overall in the 2009 WNBA Draft by the Mercury, who went on to win the WNBA championship that season. She was named 2018 Comeback Player of the Year, selected to the 2015 All-WNBA First Team and the 2019 All-WNBA second team by the Associated Press. She leaves Phoenix as the team’s all-time leader in rebounds (2,072), No. 2 in career points (4,820) and No. 2 in games played (335). Bonner averages 14.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists for her WNBA career.

“I’m excited to play with this talented group and do whatever I can to help this organization hang its first championship banner,” Bonner said. “Nothing is more important to me than winning.”

Bonner graduated from Auburn in 2009 as the school’s career scoring leader with 2,162 points, setting the single-season scoring record with 716 points. She also ranks second on Auburn’s all-time rebounding list with 1,047 boards. As a senior she posted 21.1 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per game in 33.0 minutes of action. The same year she led the SEC in scoring and was one of eight players in the country ranked in the Top 25 in scoring and Top 80 in rebounding. Over the course of four seasons, Bonner averaged 17.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.

The 2020 Connecticut Sun season will commence on May 16 when the New York Liberty come to town for a 7 p.m. tip-off. For tickets and information, visit ConnecticutSun.com.

Cash To Join Hall of Fame

Another former UConn great, Swin Cash, has been selected for induction into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Originally drafted by the Detroit Shock, Cash was dealt to Seattle (see what I’m talking about?) in 2008 where she was reunited with Bird. The Storm captured the 2010 WNBA title. Also on that team was Australian Lauren Jackson, who was also selected for the Hall of Fame this year.

—with staff reports

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