2006 Connecticut Sun season
The 2006 WNBA season was their eighth season and their fourth in Connecticut. The Sun attempted to return to the postseason for the fourth consecutive season and were successful. Before the season started, many thought the Sun would make their third consecutive trip to the WNBA Finals, but lost to the eventual champion Detroit Shock in 3 games.
| 2006 Connecticut Sun season | |
|---|---|
| Coach | Mike Thibault |
| Arena | Mohegan Sun Arena |
| Attendance | 7,417 per game |
| Results | |
| Record | 26–8 (.765) |
| Place | 1st (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Lost in Eastern Conference Finals |
| Team Leaders | |
| Points | Katie Douglas (16.4) |
| Rebounds | Taj McW.-Franklin (9.6) |
| Assists | Lindsay Whalen (4.6) |
Offseason
WNBA Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Nationality | School/Team/Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 28 | Debbie Merrill |  United States |
Ohio State |
| 3 | 42 | Marita Payne | United States |
Auburn |
Transactions
- July 24: The Sun signed Jessica Brungo.
- July 13: The Sun signed Brooke Queenan.
- June 29: The Sun waived Ambrosia Anderson.
- May 19: The Sun waived Donna Loffhagen and Jennifer Derevjanik.
- May 16: The Sun waived Brooke Queenan.
- May 15: The Sun waived Monique Coker.
- May 13: The Sun waived Katie Cronin and Jessica Brungo.
- May 12: The Sun signed Brooke Queenan.
- May 11: The Sun signed Ambrosia Anderson.
- April 6: The Sun signed Katie Cronin.
- March 27: The Sun have agreed to terms with Erin Phillips.
- March 15: The Sun signed Monique Coker.
- March 1: The Sun resigned Jennifer Derevjanik.
- February 28: The Sun resigned Jamie Carey.
- February 27: The Sun resigned Laura Summerton and Le'Coe Willingham and signed Donna Loffhagen.
- February 10: The Sun resigned Asjha Jones.
- February 7: The Sun resigned Nykesha Sales.
- February 1: The Sun announced the signings of Megan Mahoney and Candace Futrell.
Roster
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Season standings
| Eastern Conference | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Conf. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| z - Connecticut Sun | 26 | 8 | .765 | – | 14–3 | 12–5 | 15–5 |
| x - Detroit Shock | 23 | 11 | .676 | 3.0 | 14–3 | 9–8 | 14–6 |
| x - Indiana Fever | 21 | 13 | .618 | 5.0 | 12–5 | 9–8 | 12–8 |
| x - Washington Mystics | 18 | 16 | .529 | 8.0 | 13–4 | 5–12 | 12–8 |
| e - New York Liberty | 11 | 23 | .324 | 15.0 | 7–10 | 4–13 | 7–13 |
| e - Charlotte Sting | 11 | 23 | .324 | 15.0 | 7–10 | 4–3 | 6–14 |
| e - Chicago Sky | 5 | 29 | .147 | 21.0 | 3–14 | 2–15 | 4–16 |
Schedule
Preseason
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Regular season
Playoffs
In the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, the Sun had to face the Washington Mystics. Since the Sun had the better record, the series would be played with game 1 at Washington, game 2 at Connecticut, and game 3 (if needed) at Connecticut. The Sun swept the Mystics and game 3 was not needed. In the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, the Sun had to face rival Detroit Shock. Again, the Sun had the better record and the series would be played with game 1 at Detroit and games 2 and 3 (if needed) at Connecticut. Even though the Sun had a better record in the regular season, Detroit had managed to beat Connecticut in all four of the season meetings. Surprisingly, the Sun won game two of the series but went on to lose game three on their home court. Detroit advanced to the WNBA Finals. Had Connecticut advanced, it would have been the third consecutive season the Sun had made it to the WNBA Finals.
- For the fourth consecutive season, the Sun qualify for the Eastern Conference Playoffs.
- For the fourth consecutive season, the Sun advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
| 2006 Game Log: Postseason | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Eastern Conference Semifinals
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Eastern Conference Finals
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Depth
| Pos. | Starter | Bench | Inactive |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Margo Dydek | Laura Summerton | |
| PF | Taj McWilliams-Franklin | Asjha Jones -- Le'Coe Willingham | |
| SF | Nykesha Sales | Megan Mahoney | |
| SG | Katie Douglas | Erin Phillips | |
| PG | Lindsay Whalen | Jamie Carey |
Player stats
Awards and honors
- Katie Douglas, Margo Dydek, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Nykesha Sales, and Lindsay Whalen were named to the All-Star Team.
- Katie Douglas was named the All-Star Game MVP.
- Head Coach Mike Thibault was named Coach of the Year.
- Katie Douglas was named to the All-WNBA First Team.
- Taj McWilliams-Franklin was named to the All-WNBA Second Team.
- Katie Douglas was named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team for the second consecutive year.
- Margo Dydek was named to the WNBA All-Defensive Second Team.
- Taj McWilliams-Franklin was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week of July 24, 2006.
- Taj McWilliams-Franklin was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week of August 7, 2006.
References
External links
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