On May 2, the Connecticut Sun played at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford for the final time. While the night ended with an 86-83 loss to the Dallas Wings, it certainly was a win for Connecticut basketball.
Before fans even began filling the seats, Dallas Wings General Manager Curt Miller noted his predictions of it feeling like a Dallas Wings home game. This is especially due to the Wings’ backcourt duo, Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers, making their way back to Connecticut one last time.
The Backcourt is Back
“They’re both generational players,” Miller said pre-game. “They’re certainly cornerstones of what we’re building, and we think it’s going to be a very special time for the Dallas Wings.”
Bueckers then went on to have one of her best games so far this season, finishing with 25 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. 11 of those points came from the fourth quarter alone.
It was Bueckers’ and other UCONN alums’ last night playing basketball in Connecticut. The closeness and competitive matchup in itself was only a nutshell of what that arena has meant to Connecticut basketball over the years.
“It was just great to be a part of that impact,” said Sun forward Aaliyah Edwards. “Not only here in the pros, but from my college days. To play against my former teammates is pretty cool. It was the first time I played against Azzi in the pros, and I’ve obviously played against Paige before, so it was nice. I got the and-one on Paige, so I’m definitely going to call her out on that one.”
The UCONN-WNBA Pipeline
PeoplesBank Arena being one of two home locations for UCONN Basketball brought in several UCONN-specific fans.
“We want to bring that WNBA product closer to people that maybe couldn’t make the drive,” Connecticut Sun President Jen Rizzotti said ahead of the game. “There’s a lot more people that live up in this area than down in southeastern Connecticut, so I think you’ll see that in the crowd tonight.”
Sure enough, that arena had more than 14,500 fans in attendance.
A Fandom to Remember
So much of this season has been about legacy within the team’s present and past contributors. Although one of the biggest contributors that deserves equal focus is that of the fans.
Much of the current Connecticut Sun fandom comes from the UCONN pipeline. Getting to watch a couple of games this season at PeoplesBank Arena made that connection complete.
“To be able to welcome Huskies to our roster and then also from the opponent teams back to Connecticut is a fun experience. These fans get a chance to celebrate their favorites,” Rizzotti said. “And learn about new favorites.”
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