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Connecticut is traditionally torn between two major professional sports markets. Is this Red Sox or Yankees territory? Giants or Patriots? Knicks or Celtics? All of that is up for debate, but what is not up for debate is that Connecticut is a hotbed for women’s basketball. The UConn women’s program, run by the legendary Geno Auremmia, has been widely recognized as the gold standard for women’s college basketball over the past decade plus. However, there is another force in Women’s basketball right in Conn’s backyard.
The Connecticut Sun are Connecticut’s only professional sports team (other than minor league hockey and baseball teams), and they play just fifteen minutes north of Conn’s campus at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville. Hannah Foley, a member of the graduating class of 2023 – and a former Sports Editor for TCV – is one of several members of the Conn community who are working up Route 32 for the Sun.
Foley’s official title is “Gameday Intern,” a job that she describes as “somewhat of a swiss army knife role.” The job is within the marketing department, and she helps run event presentations on game days and at several other events. This includes running entertainment during stoppages in play during games, getting the mascot and other important people where they need to be, running halftime entertainment, setting up giveaways, helping fans know where to go, and more.
She has also helped out with various events off of the court this season, including a golf tournament, tabling events and various Pride Month events, of which Foley stated “It’s important for us to let the LGBTQ+ community in southeastern Connecticut know that we are a safe space for them.”
One of Foley’s favorite parts of working for the Sun has been their connection with the local community. “Connecticut is one of the biggest hubs for women’s basketball in the country, and the community shows up big time. We get a lot of fans from the connection with the UConn Women’s team, and it helps that two of our players are UConn graduates. We have a large, and dedicated pool of season ticket holders, many of whom have been around for a while.”
The Sun goes above and beyond with their community outreach. Foley detailed how the Connecticut Sun Foundation helps provide basketball coaching, food, and outreach in underprivileged communities, has been involved in various voting rights movements and organizations over the past few years and more.
The mission statement of the Connecticut Sun Foundation states:
“The Connecticut Sun Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of Connecticut’s youth by supporting athletic and education endeavors… The Connecticut Sun takes pride in giving back to the community where our fans live, work and play. We are committed to using our resources to leave a lasting legacy in Connecticut, supporting fitness and education programs that will help create the foundation for healthy and rewarding lives.”
The Sun were nominated for the ESPY for community engagements by a pro sports team for their work in the community. This honor was ultimately granted to the San Antonio Spurs for their support of the local community in Texas after the tragic shooting in Uvalde.
When asked about the challenges of promoting women’s sports, Foley stated:
“Things are always a little tricky around women’s sports. A big part of my life goal is to help promote women’s sports across the board. It’s super cool to be in a position where every women’s sports league’s numbers are going up every year. Of course one of the challenging parts is educating people that [the WNBA] exists and that they should come out and support it, but ultimately if you’re a true basketball fan you’ll come and watch it. Women’s basketball is actually a more pure form of the game than men’s basketball… it’s less about who can jump the highest or who is most athletic and is much more about who has the best fundamentals.”
Foley’s point about women’s basketball being a more pure form of basketball, especially with regards to fundamentals, has been echoed by various NBA stars such as LeBron James and Draymond Green over the past few years.
After losing last year’s WNBA Finals to the Las Vegas Aces, the Sun currently sit in second in the WNBA’s Eastern Conference, only behind the New York Liberty on win percentage. On the state of the team this season, Foley stated “there was a lot of turnover after last season. We lost our MVP, our coach went to LA. A lot of people wrote the Sun off, and said ‘this is going to be a rebuilding year for them.’ It’s definitely given the team a chip on their shoulder to prove everyone wrong, that the goal is still to win a championship and that we can do it even despite that turnover.”
The connection between Conn and the Sun is growing. Foley is one of three recent graduates who work for the team, along with 2022 graduates Audrey Shaev and Jenna Whelan. Conn’s Director of Sports Performance and Fitness Center Manager Analisse Rios is also the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Sun, and Sun players have used Conn’s varsity weight room at various points to get extra training in. Foley added that both the Women’s Basketball and Women’s Soccer teams have come to several games.
Foley recalled a moment at a game this summer where a young fan had the opportunity to go onto the court for the first time. She recounted how the young girl looked up at her and said, “This is a dream come true to be on the court.” Looking back on this moment, Foley said “It’s really cool to know that young girls can have this team to look up to, and it’s really awesome to be a part of that.”
