The Connecticut Sun are having a red letter season.
After winning 23 games, securing the No. 2 seed and sending two players to the All-Star game, expectations are high for the Sun, who are still missing the one piece most important to any franchise: a championship.
The organization's motto this year has been "Burn It Down," an homage to women who have blazed trails for others. But it's also been a reminder to let go of the team's failures of the past.
"The franchise as a whole has been to the Finals twice, never hung a banner," said Amber Cox, vice president of the Connecticut Sun. "So on the court, it's about: We want to burn down the history. It's time to unapologetically talk about, we're ready to win a championship, we're not going to tiptoe around it anymore."
And while she's talking about the team moving forward from its past, she could be talking about the league itself.
It's been a year of changes, both big and small, for the WNBA. Earlier this year, Cathy Engelbert became the league's first ever commissioner. While the past four leaders were called presidents, the title change is a nod to the WNBA's big league status. And the new position has been designed to grant Engelbert more autonomy as the head of the league.
There's also a new logo, which is part of a larger re-brand; a sponsorship deal with AT&T; and maybe most importantly, a big new TV deal with CBS, which aired 40 live games this season as part of a multi-year agreement.
Earlier this year, New England Sports Network (NESN) and the Sun agreed to air 23 games on NESN and NESNplus this season. Sun games had been aired on local channels like NBC Sports Boston in previous years.
"We've always been a big proponent of women's sports. ... So we felt like, 'OK, this would be great,'" said Rick Jaffe, vice president of programming and production at NESN. "I mean, we already have the Red Sox and the Bruins, but to be able to televise another pro product in the market, we thought, was a great addition."
It's been a beneficial relationship for both parties so far. Jaffe says network ratings in Hartford have more than doubled because of the Sun and NESN's ability to promote them.
And one of the best parts of the deal is that Sun players, like All-Star forward Jonquel Jones, have been given the chance to make guest appearances on NESN's Red Sox broadcasts.
"It's huge that they gave us the opportunity and platform to do that. And I feel like that as long as people come down and they watch our games, they're gonna walk away saying, 'Wow, I'm definitely gonna come back again,'" Jones said. "So, I think the TV deals are huge. It allows us to reach a broader audience and bring more people in."
It helps the organization to move forward in its goal of being a team for the region, not just Connecticut.
"It's a great place for women's basketball, just not the state of Connecticut, but in the New England region," said Sun Head Coach Curt Miller. "And our brand is only growing with some of the exposure that the TV opportunities are giving us."
That word — exposure — is something you'll hear a lot of when you talk to people around the team and the league. And it's also at the heart of the impending struggle that awaits the WNBA at the end of this season.
Last year, the WNBA Players Association decided not to renew its collective bargaining agreement with the league that ends after this season. Among their requests are better travel arrangements, more financial transparency from the league and a larger cut of the league's earnings.
For example, while NBA players take home around 50 percent of their league's revenue, WNBA players are only getting about 20.
Speaking earlier this season, Sun guard Layshia Clarendon, who is the first vice president of the players' union, said players are hopeful about talks with the league.
"We all want this league to thrive," she said. "We want it to be around for generations to come, and so obviously, come to the table, you know, there's going to be negotiations, but I think we're moving in the right direction. And so far the meetings we've had have started off really positive and in the right way. I think, at the end of the day, we want this league to be around for the young women and boys behind us."
What happens after this season is unknown. But right now, the Sun get the chance to host at least one playoff series.
And for Jonquel Jones, it all comes back to the team's 17-year quest for a banner.
"I feel like we have everything that we need to be a championship team," she said. "So if we don't get it, that's a bust for us."
