CT Sun Roster Predictions

[psconn]

Here's what we have as of today. Only 12 can stay. Chelsea Gray will not be counted toward the 12. I put my "locks" in Red, probable in Orange and that give me 11. I'm pretty confident Izzy will not be back. Sydney Carter has done well overseas (9.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists for TTT Riga in Latvia) but I don't know the level of completion she faces. She was a popular addition in the mess that was last year.

That leaves 4 bigs and McCray who was out all last year but played overseas. Her career with the Sun has been up and down. When she's on a good streak she can be pretty amazing but those time were not very common. Averaged 7.2 points and 3.5 rebounds in the Polish league.

Keisha Hampton is averaging 15.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in 12 German League games for Saarlouis. But again, I have no idea what the competition level is.

Anyone care to weigh in? Who will the 12 be for the "new look" Sun?

EDITED: FROM THIS ORIGINAL LIST, IZZY AND KEISHA HAMPTON ARE NOW GONE AND LEUCHANKA HAS BEEN ADDED. 4 FROM THIS LIST HAVE TO GO. ALTHOUGH I HAVE NOT SEEN AN ANNOUCEMENT, CARTER IS NO LONGER ON THE SUN WEBSITE ROSTER. I HAVE A FEELING THAT THE LAST CUT WILL BE A PAINFUL ONE (THEY USUALLY ARE). I THINK CAIN AND MCCRAY ARE MOST AT RISK... AFTER THAT, NO IDEA.

PLAYER---------POS------HT-----WT-------DOB -------------FROM ---------YRS
Alex Bentley-----G ------5/7-----152 -----10/27/1990------Penn State ----1
Kelsey Bone----F-C------6/4---- 215------12/31/1991-------Texas A&M ---- 1

Kelley Cain --------- C ------6/6 ---- 220 -----5/16/1989 ---------Tennessee -------1
Sydney Carter------G------- 5/6 ---- 135 ---- 11/18/1990---------Texas A&M ---- 2
Iziane Castro Marques--F-G---6/1 ----140 --3/13/1982 ------- Brazil -----------11
Katie Douglas ----G-F----6/1 -----165 -----5/7/1979 --------Purdue --------13
Kelly Faris---------G------ 5/11 -----155-----1 /16/1991 -------Connecticut ---1
Chelsea Gray------G------ 5/11-----160------10/8/1992-------Duke------------R
Kalana Greene----G ------5/10-----170 -----7/13/1987 ------Connecticut ---4
Kelsey Griffin------F ------6/2 ------179 -----7/2/1987--------Nebraska------4
Keisha Hampton -----F ------6/2------unk------2/22/1990 --------DePaul -------- R
Allison Hightower -G------5/10----139-----4/6/1988-------Louisiana State-----4
Renee Montgomery --G ---5/7 -----143-----12/2/1986 ------Connecticut-----5
Chiney Ogwumike----F----6/4------174-----3/21/1992 -------Stanford------R
Kayla Pedersen -----F -----6/4 ------190-----4/14/1989 -------Stanford-----3
DeNesha Stallworth ----F -----6/3 -------unk ----5/5/1992 ---------Kentucky -----R
Alyssa Thomas ------F ------6/2 -----unk -----4/12/1992 ------Maryland -----R
Danielle McCray -------F ------5/11-------170 -----10/8/1987 --------Kansas ---------4
Yelena Leuchanka---C------6'5"------196----- 4/30/83-------W. Virginia-----4

 

[EricLA]

Off the top of my head (with no real insight of what they did in the past), I could see Breland, Cain, Griffin, Hampton, Hightower, Pedersen, and possibly Castro-marquez and Carter not making the team. I'm not sure what they will do with Grey since she's injured, and I"m not sure if Stallworth would make the team, but I think they have to get down to 12 and that's currently a group of 21.

 

[Striper69]

Kelsey Griffin should make it. She looked good in the games I saw last year.

 

[psconn]

Off the top of my head (with no real insight of what they did in the past), I could see Breland, Cain, Griffin, Hampton, Hightower, Pedersen, and possibly Castro-marquez and Carter not making the team. I'm not sure what they will do with Grey since she's injured, and I"m not sure if Stallworth would make the team, but I think they have to get down to 12 and that's currently a group of 21.

Eric... Hightower?!?!?! All-star guard who just signed a new 4-year contract.

Griffin is HUGELY popular with the coaching staff and fans (not that we matter, of course... we just keep these people employed) and just signed a new 2 year contract.

I think Gray gets listed as "suspended" and will not occupy a roster position.

 

[EricLA]

Eric... Hightower?!?!?! All-star guard who just signed a new 4-year contract.

Griffin is HUGELY popular with the coaching staff and fans (not that we matter, of course... we just keep these people employed) and just signed a new 2 year contract.

I was just going off talent. Griffin is completely unnecessary with Ogwumike on board. I had no idea about Hightower. Maybe they cut Stallworth, Kalana Greene, and Montgomery. No idea.

 

[Jackalope]

Given what went down with Tina the past week, the Sun need to be careful about alienating the UCONN faithful. They might be wary of cutting Kelly and/or Kalana because of this. This is the catch 22 of the prior Sun strategy of having many UCONN alums.

 

[arch]

Here's what we have as of today. Only 12 can stay. Chelsea Gray will not be counted toward the 12. I put my "locks" in Red, probable in Orange and that give me 11. I'm pretty confident Izzy will not be back. Sydney Carter has done well overseas (9.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists for TTT Riga in Latvia) but I don't know the level of completion she faces. She was a popular addition in the mess that was last year.

That leaves 4 bigs and McCray who was out all last year but played overseas. Her career with the Sun has been up and down. When she's on a good streak she can be pretty amazing but those time were not very common. Averaged 7.2 points and 3.5 rebounds in the Polish league.

Keisha Hampton is averaging 15.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in 12 German League games for Saarlouis. But again, I have no idea what the competition level is.

Anyone care to weigh in? Who will the 12 be for the "new look" Sun?

PLAYER---------POS------HT-----WT-------DOB -------------FROM ---------YRS
Alex Bentley-----G ------5/7-----152 -----10/27/1990------Penn State ----1
Kelsey Bone----F-C------6/4---- 215------12/31/1991-------Texas A&M ---- 1
Jessica Breland-----F ------6/3-----170 ------2/23/1988---------North Carolina---2
Kelley Cain --------- C ------6/6 ---- 220 -----5/16/1989 ---------Tennessee -------1
Sydney Carter------G------- 5/6 ---- 135 ---- 11/18/1990---------Texas A&M ---- 2
Iziane Castro Marques--F-G---6/1 ----140 --3/13/1982 ------- Brazil -----------11
Katie Douglas ----G-F----6/1 -----165 -----5/7/1979 --------Purdue --------13
Kelly Faris---------G------ 5/11 -----155-----1 /16/1991 -------Connecticut ---1
Chelsea Gray------G------ 5/11-----160------10/8/1992-------Duke------------R
Kalana Greene----G ------5/10-----170 -----7/13/1987 ------Connecticut ---4
Kelsey Griffin------F ------6/2 ------179 -----7/2/1987--------Nebraska------4
Keisha Hampton -----F ------6/2------unk------2/22/1990 --------DePaul -------- R
Allison Hightower -G------5/10----139-----4/6/1988-------Louisiana State-----4
Renee Montgomery --G ---5/7 -----143-----12/2/1986 ------Connecticut-----5
Chiney Ogwumike----F----6/4------174-----3/21/1992 -------Stanford------R
Kayla Pedersen -----F -----6/4 ------190-----4/14/1989 -------Stanford-----3
DeNesha Stallworth ----F -----6/3 -------unk ----5/5/1992 ---------Kentucky -----R
Alyssa Thomas ------F ------6/2 -----unk -----4/12/1992 ------Maryland -----R
Danielle McCray -------F ------5/11-------170 -----10/8/1987 --------Kansas ---------4

Breland (to Chicago) and Marques gone already?

 

[psconn]

Looks that way. Must have happened late yesterday early today. Four more to cut I assume that won't happen for a few weeks... not sure of the official cut day.

 

[arch]

Looks that way. Must have happened late yesterday early today. Four more to cut I assume that won't happen for a few weeks... not sure of the official cut day.

I think Breland signed with Chicago in late March. Not sure there is just 4 more to cut. There would be 5 according to the OP's list and there could be more coming in.

 

[DICKG]

Our worst position this year, center, was our best position last year. Assuming Bone is our starting center, which scares me, who is her back-up ? Do they have to keep Cain for this?

 

[MarieYLee]

Montgomery/Bentley/ (Gray)
Hightower/Green
Douglas/Thomas/Faris
Ogwumike/Griffin
Bone/Pedersen

Hmmm, they may need another post. I suppose they can go small and play Thomas at the 4 for some time. Will be a mismatch both sides. This is a lottery team IMO. So probably add KML (clearly best player when healthy in shape) or one of the post (Harrison, Williams) next year.

I have read Bone has improved though. She played for Galatasaray, and they won Euroleague. Her and Shavonte Zelleous were the Americans/non-Euros on the team (you are only allowed 2). They upset UMMC (Parker, Taurasi, Deanna Nolan, and former Sun players Gruda and Jekabsone) in Semis and Fenerbahce in the Final (Pondexter, McCoughtry). Though Gala does have Sancho Lyttle and Alba Torrens, probably the two top Euro players (Lyttle plays for Spain, and Torrens was suppose to come to the Sun 2 years ago and got injured).

 

[psconn]

Montgomery/Bentley/ (Gray)
Hightower/Green
Douglas/Thomas/Faris
Ogwumike/Griffin
Bone/Pedersen

Hmmm, they may need another post. I suppose they can go small and play Thomas at the 4 for some time. Will be a mismatch both sides. This is a lottery team IMO. So probably add KML (clearly best player when healthy in shape) or one of the post (Harrison, Williams) next year.

I have read Bone has improved though. She played for Galatasaray, and they won Euroleague. Her and Shavonte Zelleous were the Americans/non-Euros on the team (you are only allowed 2). They upset UMMC (Parker, Taurasi, Deanna Nolan, and former Sun players Gruda and Jekabsone) in Semis and Fenerbahce in the Final (Pondexter, McCoughtry). Though Gala does have Sancho Lyttle and Alba Torrens, probably the two top Euro players (Lyttle plays for Spain, and Torrens was suppose to come to the Sun 2 years ago and got injured).

You have one more player to pick... Gray will not count toward the 12.

 

[DICKG]

Montgomery/Bentley/ (Gray)
Hightower/Green
Douglas/Thomas/Faris
Ogwumike/Griffin
Bone/Pedersen

Hmmm, they may need another post. I suppose they can go small and play Thomas at the 4 for some time. Will be a mismatch both sides. This is a lottery team IMO. So probably add KML (clearly best player when healthy in shape) or one of the post (Harrison, Williams) next year.

I have read Bone has improved though. She played for Galatasaray, and they won Euroleague. Her and Shavonte Zelleous were the Americans/non-Euros on the team (you are only allowed 2). They upset UMMC (Parker, Taurasi, Deanna Nolan, and former Sun players Gruda and Jekabsone) in Semis and Fenerbahce in the Final (Pondexter, McCoughtry). Though Gala does have Sancho Lyttle and Alba Torrens, probably the two top Euro players (Lyttle plays for Spain, and Torrens was suppose to come to the Sun 2 years ago and got injured).

 

[ChicagoGG]

Kalana just signed a one year deal last week.

 

[Striper69]

Given what went down with Tina the past week, the Sun need to be careful about alienating the UCONN faithful. They might be wary of cutting Kelly and/or Kalana because of this. This is the catch 22 of the prior Sun strategy of having many UCONN alums.

What could they have done? Charles was going to sit out the year anyway. At least they came out ahead by trading her.

Faris and Greene should be OK.

 

[jdubct]

What could they have done? Charles was going to sit out the year anyway. At least they came out ahead by trading her.

Faris and Greene should be OK.

Agree. I'm not sure they could get anybody "better" that would improve the team.

 

[psconn]

I edited the list in the original post. Four must go next week. I'm thinking Carter, Cain, McCray but that last one? No idea. Stallworth looked great in the practice that I saw, but that's one practice. If she stays, who goes?

 

[DishNSwish]

Carter is not in camp, nor will she be

 

[psconn]

Carter is not in camp, nor will she be

I assumed she was gone. What do you think of Stallworth? She looked pretty good for the brief time I saw her. I'm a little concerned about Kelly Faris, but it is hard to picture them letting her go this season.

 

[Striper69]

Carter is not in camp, nor will she be

Will Tina Charles be at the game Sunday?

 

[DishNSwish]

I assumed she was gone. What do you think of Stallworth? She looked pretty good for the brief time I saw her. I'm a little concerned about Kelly Faris, but it is hard to picture them letting her go this season.

Tough call. I always liked Stallworth, and on our pre-draft podcast Jeff House (who coached her) said she was a sleeper and would be a good pro. My question has been she always seemed to be in foul trouble in big games, so can she stay on the court as a pro.

 

[DishNSwish]

Will Tina Charles be at the game Sunday?

I believe so, yes.

 

[psconn]

Tough call. I always liked Stallworth, and on our pre-draft podcast Jeff House (who coached her) said she was a sleeper and would be a good pro. My question has been she always seemed to be in foul trouble in big games, so can she stay on the court as a pro.

She's a pretty big body (which the Sun could use) and, based on a very short observation, looked effective on the offense. I did not follow her much on the defensive end. How do you see Faris fitting in given her struggles on the offensive end? I'd hate to lose her but like she said herself, at this point everyone is competing for those last roster spots. When all is said and done, Kelly's fate may have more to do with public relations than basketball.

 

[DishNSwish]

Camp means everything, not only to her, but also McCray after missing last year.

 

[psconn]

Will Tina Charles be at the game Sunday?

John A: Charles Not Expected To Be With Liberty Sunday