With Alex Bentley, Rachel Banham, Jonquel Jones, Chiney Ogwumike, Shekinna
Stricklen, Alyssa Thomas, Jasmine Thomas, Morgan Tuck and Courtney
Williams and 2018 No. 1 pick Lexie Brown all expected to make the 12-player roster even before training camp kicked off, the only drama surrounded who would be the final two players to make the Connecticut Sun roster.
Former Rutgers standout Betnijah Laney, who played for Chicago during the 2015 and 2016 seasons, and last year's first-round pick Brionna Jones joined the aforementioned 10 players as the Sun on the roster.
Leticia Romero and Jessica January, taken by Connecticut in the second and third rounds in the 2017 WNBA Draft, Cayla George (acquired from Phoenix for the 21st overall pick in this year's draft) and Nikki Greene, a former third-round selection by Phoenix were the final players cut. It is the second season in a row that January was among the final cuts but with her averaging only 4.7 minutes per game and Romero on the court for a total of 10 minutes in three preseason games, it was not shocking to see them let go. The battle for the final reserve post position was a different story. Jones averaged 3.7 points, 4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocked shots in 14.7 minutes in three preseason games while George averaged 1.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.7 steals in 12.3 minutes.
If Connecticut had kept the pick used to acquire George, Mercedes Russell (who averaged 26 minutes per game for New York in the preseason, talented Russian Rasia Musina and Shakayla Thomas (9.3 PPG for Los Angeles in the preseason) are among the players who could have been selected.
Every indication is that Jonquel Jones, who missed all of training camp, should be arriving in the next day or two. New Haven native Bria Holmes will miss the 2018 season as she prepares to give birth to her first child.
The Sun, coming off a 21-13 season, will play Las Vegas in its home and season opener on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena.
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