The Connecticut Sun will be on the market for a new head coach and general manager this offseason.
Curt Miller, who has held those positions for the last seven seasons, is leaving the franchise to join the Los Angeles Sparks, according to multiple reports. Chris Haynes and Cassandra Negley of Yahoo Sports were the first to report the news.
The Sun released a statement on Friday afternoon in the hours following the reports.
“We are very grateful for the time Curt spent in Connecticut building the organization into a championship level team over the past seven years,” Sun president Jen Rizzotti said. “Curt and I have had multiple conversations about the future over the past few weeks. As his friend, I wanted to be supportive of the fact that he could be ready for a change. On behalf of the Connecticut Sun I want to thank him for his commitment to the organization and for the level of sustained success he has achieved.”
Miller led the Sun to the 2022 WNBA Finals, where they lost to the Las Vegas Aces in four games. The team reached the semifinals or finals in each of the last four seasons, but fell short of winning its first championship each time, with injuries and opt-outs affecting the team each season. Starting point guard and veteran leader Jasmine Thomas was the latest domino to fall when she tore her ACL in May of this past season.
A two-time WNBA Coach of the Year (2017 and 2021), Miller had a 140-86 record in the regular season and a 16-17 record in the postseason during his time with Connecticut. He got his start in the WNBA as an assistant coach for the Sparks in 2015 after a long tenure in the women’s college basketball ranks.
The Sparks fired former NBA star Derek Fisher during the 2022 regular season. They are in a rebuilding phase after Candace Parker and Chelsea Gray both left in free agency in the past few offseasons. Former UConn stars Katie Lou Samuelson and Olivia Nelson-Ododa are on the Los Angeles roster.
The Sun already had an important offseason ahead with Brionna Jones (unrestricted), Courtney Williams (unrestricted) and Natisha Hiedeman (restricted) all set to become free agents and shake up the roster. Now they’ll have to find a new head coach and general manager as well.
“As I look to our future, I know we have all the pieces in place to be a championship contender again next year,” Rizzotti said. “We look forward to finding the right person to lead our team.”
