A move may be on the horizon for the Connecticut Sun.
The Mohegan Tribe, owners of the franchise, are exploring a sale that would possibly result in a relocation of the team. It says here that the preferable outcome would be a retention of the Connecticut Sun, either in its current state, or with new owners. But it won’t say here that we’re suggesting what the Mohegan Tribe should decide.
In the event of a sale and relocation, we here at Duck on a Rock, with help and ideas from friends and contributors to the blog, have reimagined a regional rebirth of the Connecticut Sun. With hopes that the team would move up north to Boston, stay in the state, or rebrand to appeal to New England, we took creative liberty to develop new looks and monikers. Please comment opinions, critiques and criticisms below, as well as respond to our poll, but be nice about the amateur use of free AI to create the logos. Like the Connecticut Sun’s roster rebuild, it’s a work in progress.
- The Previously Rumored Favorite: The Boston Charm, or Boston Charms
In the fall of 2023 when the idea of a WNBA franchise to Boston was brought up, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck was not only receptive, but suggested discussions had taken place for a sister team to be paired with the winningest franchise in NBA history. Whether the scenario stemmed from a move or an expansion team, the name Boston Charm was floated as a possibility. The Charm or Charms could incorporate the charm of Boston as a city, Irish charm elements or an identity that ties to witchcraft. The very real, but unfortunate, history of the Witch Trials during the late 1600’s in nearby Salem are part of the area’s fabric. So either sticking with the city charm theme, an Irish motif with the Celtics, or adding a regional, historical spin to the moniker, would make Charm(s) work as a brand. And the team would have the same initials as their older brother. The Celtics’ change in ownership, however, re-opens the naming process should the Sun land in Boston.
- The Clear Cut Best: Boston Banshees
Now that you’ve been charmed, let me warn you of your impending deaths. Is that too forward? Well, are you trying to charm your opponent or are you trying to end them? Enough elevator pitches, but it’s been said in this space before, and Fenway Park may not be in the same neighborhood as T.D. Garden, that the Banshees are a home run in our book. These “green monsters” of sorts would check all the boxes for a fitting name for a WNBA franchise in Boston. The supernatural being straight from Irish folklore who warns others of their forthcoming death through shrill wails is a perfect pairing with a team called the Celtics. The alliteration isn’t forced. It’s certainly Irish in nature and stays on theme with the partner NBA team. The color scheme of green and white is suited for it. And a professional graphic design team can create a ghostly, haunting logo that instills fear in opponents. The weaknesses in this option are few and far between.
- Boston, but Different: Witches of the West End, Garden Goddesses, Garden Green Witches
Should a relocation to Boston happen, if the franchise was looking for a creative avenue to dribble down, the above options are locally relevant with a more imaginative identity. Although it is a stone’s throw from Boston’s North End, the T.D. Garden sits in the West End, and as already mentioned, the history with witches in the region can create a unique name: Witches of the West End. Think about a “Hocus Pocus” themed city jersey with the Sanderson Sisters as the mascots. Garden Goddesses would have lots of different possibilities for colors and logos while paying homage to their home arena. And the Garden Green Witches would do the same, with possibilities of forest themed uniforms, a mission tied to the environment, the earth, and peaceful harmony, or a cameo of the players in the third “Wicked” movie.
- Best Fit for Connecticut: Connecticut Charm
If the Sun does not ship up to Boston, then a relocation to Hartford within the state makes the most sense. The WNBA averaged over 9,000 fans (with the Sun at over 8,000) per game last season. The UConn women’s basketball team, playing a good chunk of their games at Hartford’s XL Center, averaged over 12,000. The support will be there and the venue is in a more central location in the state. And no the name Connecticut Charm is not a lazy alliteration attempt or redundant inspiration. Connecticut can lay claim to hysteria before Massachusetts. The Hartford Witch Trials, located in both the future state capital city and nearby Wethersfield, actually predated the Salem Witch Trials by three decades. There were about a dozen people executed. And, no, that’s not a proud history by any means. And this name isn’t to glorify it either. If Arthur Miller, who made a home in Connecticut, taught us anything in The Crucible, it’s that witch trials brought out some of the worst traits in humanity. If AC/DC, Chris Tucker, and Charlie Sheen taught us anything, however, it’s money talks. Salem has capitalized on their embarrassing and tragic history with plenty of tourism dollars. Hollywood has taken advantage of the dark history as well. It’s time for Connecticut to get a chunk of the change too. Halloween colors, with either orange and black or a purple and black color scheme, would work. Since the Golden State Valkyries didn’t lean into the lavender as much in their actual uniform, there’s that direction as well.
- New Twist on Nostalgia: Connecticut Pride
The Continental Basketball Association called Connecticut home during the 1990’s. The Hartford Hellcats and Connecticut Pride played games across various venues in Hartford and New Haven. UConn greats Tate George, Kevin Ollie, and Ricky Moore stayed in-state and logged time with the local CBA team. The modern play here would be to name the team the Connecticut Pride. A group of lions is called a pride. The mother lion, or lioness, is often the leader and boss of the pride. From that fact, opportunities abound. The identity would be appealing nationally even to those without a clue of the Connecticut connection.
- Deep Cut Puns and Word Play: Connecticut Prose
What was a failed submission for a minor league baseball team that became the Hartford Yard Goats is brought back alive as a possibility on this page. Not sure whose idea it was, but unfortunately somehow it didn’t make it as a finalist. How could people not get behind it? Imagine a zany Mark Twain mascot in between innings? Whoever suggested it is a genius and needs to be rewarded with complete autonomy on renaming the Boston Banshees, I mean, Connecticut Sun. Anyway, the Connecticut Prose is still in play for a WNBA team. Aside from the aforementioned Twain, whose real name was Samuel Clemens (I know, Stewie, that fact doesn’t further this conversation), Connecticut is the birthplace or was the home state of many famous authors. Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Ann Petry, Harriet Beacher Stowe, and Suzanne Collins are a few who have ties to the Nutmeg State. Due to the serious subject matter, there’s no room for a yellow wallpaper-inspired color scheme, but a Hunger Games city uniform would hit hard, and hopefully stay on the shelves longer than the Indiana Fever’s “Stranger Things” jerseys did. The name Prose is also a play on pros, for the only major professional team in the state. Let’s call this suggestion what the Yard Goats failed to recognize: a stroke of genius, meaning, a brilliant idea. Thank you, Noah Webster.
- Name(s) of Days Gone By: New England Blizzard, Connecticut Blizzard, Boston Blizzard
The list would be incomplete without our old friend the Blizzard. No matter where in New England they’d call home in this hypothetical, the name has to be at least considered. A charter member of the short-lived American Basketball League, the Blizzard was the state’s first foray in professional women’s basketball. The ABL, and the New England Blizzard, only lasted three seasons, but the team that called the then-Hartford Civic Center (as well as Springfield) home can say they selected Rebecca Lobo and Teresa Weatherspoon as draft picks, cite Kara Wolters and Jennifer Rizzotti as former players, and boast that they employed Hall of Famer K.C. Jones as head coach. Changing the name to the Blizzard, after being the Sun, after having a women’s team named the Blizzard, would also represent the changing seasons of the region, and the volatile temperature change we experience. Nothing wrong with a little fire and ice.
- Ocean Vibes Only: New England Sirens, New England Shore Sirens, Boston Bay Sirens
Starbucks might sue us, but a mythical, nautical direction is fitting for New England. With the recent dispute over creative control of the name Yeti for what’s now the Utah Mammoth of the NHL, it’s tough to keep track of what’s allowed anymore. Even though the San Francisco Sirens of the Bay Area, or a Starbucks partnership with a reinvented mermaid-icon identity for the Seattle Storm, may have been more suitable, the above names are applicable to five of the six New England states with coastline. Sorry, Vermont.
Once again, please respond to the poll (below) and share your views in the comments. Feedback is welcomed and encouraged. And whether the Connecticut Sun ends up staying or going, at the end of the day, the sun will still come up tomorrow.
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