OT: Curt Miller leaving CT Sun to coach LA Sparks

[UConnCat]

I posted this on the general forum but since it's a Connecticut team with ties to UConn (Jen R and Morgan) seems appropriate here as well.

 

[UConnCat]

Maybe a change for both Miller and the Sun is a good thing.

 

[eebmg]

Miller does not strike me as a west coast guy. Must be a nice financial package.

 

[UConnCat]

Last year the Mercury made the finals, lost to the Sky and HC Brondello moved on.

This year the Sun made the finals, lost to the Aces and HC Miller is moving on.

 

[Blakeon18]

I think he did a very solid job while here. I recall Geno offering high praise about his coaching
abilities.

 

[eebmg]

I think he did a very solid job while here. I recall Geno offering high praise about his coaching
abilities.

I thought I remember a story that Geno's opinion helped him get the sun job?

 

[UConnCat]

Miller does not strike me as a west coast guy. Must be a nice financial package.

He was an asst coach for the Sparks 6-7 years ago so he is familiar with LA.

 

[UConnCat]

I thought I remember a story that Geno's opinion helped him get the sun job?

Geno gave Curt a strong recommendation for the job.

Curt was the head coach at Indiana University for 2 years before resigning abruptly in 2014. He was 2 years in to a 6-year deal at IU. In need of a job, he became an asst coach for the LA Sparks for the 2015 season and was hired by the Sun as their head coach in December 2015.

 

[nickp91]

Major upgrade from Derek Fisher

 

[EricLA]

Major upgrade from Derek Fisher

Agreed. Side note - he needs to get some players. Good core, but missing key pieces. Camabge was a disaster for them, and the league frankly.

Brandi Poole is a really good assistant for the Sun. Would not be surprised to see her get the HC job.

 

[hoopsdiva]

Major upgrade from Derek Fisher

That's faint praise. Liz Truss would be a major upgrade from Derek Fisher, and she got beat by a head of lettuce.

 

[UConnCat]

 

[Bigboote]

I'm sorry to see Curt go. But I'm glad he seems to be chasing greener pastures and that Jen is gracious in letting him go. Class act by both.

The Sun have a lot of free agents. I hope not too many follow him; have never been fond of the Sparks.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

. . . The Sun have a lot of free agents. . . .

I wonder if that was a factor in Curt's decision to move on.

 

[Notyetready]

I wonder if that was a factor in Curt's decision to move on.

Most of the Sparks players are free agents, but they do have a lot of cap space. I wonder what this does for Olivia's prospects with the Sparks...

 

[Blakeon18]

I remember a story about his recruiting when he was coach at Indiana.
They were recruiting Kia Nurse bigtime...she had some kind of connection with that
program...don't recall what it was.
Anyway an assistant was watching Kia play...maybe in AAU ball. She sees Shea Ralph there and it is
evident that she has her UConn eyes on Kia as well. The assistant texts Curt that UConn seems to be serious.
Curt's reply was something like...well...good-bye to Kia.

 

[Zarathustra]

I'm sorry to see Curt go. But I'm glad he seems to be chasing greener pastures and that Jen is gracious in letting him go. Class act by both.

The Sun have a lot of free agents. I hope not too many follow him; have never been fond of the Sparks.

But..... ONO is a "SPARK". ( He said with a sparkle in his eye!)

 

[EricLA]

I'm sorry to see Curt go. But I'm glad he seems to be chasing greener pastures and that Jen is gracious in letting him go. Class act by both.

The Sun have a lot of free agents. I hope not too many follow him; have never been fond of the Sparks.

Sparks are MUCH easier to like now that Parker and Cambage are gone. Plus they have ONO and Lou1. Not a fan of Chennedy "Hollywood" Carter (yeah they actually call her that here. Where's my vomit emoji???), but it's more her game I don't like than her personality.

 

[Carnac]

As a Sparks fan, I'm extremely happy about this news.

 

[Carnac]

Sparks are MUCH easier to like now that Parker and Cambage are gone. Plus they have ONO and Lou1. Not a fan of Chennedy "Hollywood" Carter (yeah they actually call her that here. Where's my vomit emoji???), but it's more her game I don't like than her personality.

View attachment 79960

Agree about Cambage and Parker. I can think of at least 10 FA guards I'd like to see LA acquire and release Carter. She's not a good fit here.

 

[UConnCat]

I remember a story about his recruiting when he was coach at Indiana.
They were recruiting Kia Nurse bigtime...she had some kind of connection with that
program...don't recall what it was.
Anyway an assistant was watching Kia play...maybe in AAU ball. She sees Shea Ralph there and it is
evident that she has her UConn eyes on Kia as well. The assistant texts Curt that UConn seems to be serious.
Curt's reply was something like...well...good-bye to Kia.

Kia's aunt Raquel Nurse (McNabb) played basketball at Syracuse while Miller was an assistant coach. I think Miller and Raquel Nurse overlapped for maybe one year. Miller was head coach at Bowling Green from 2001-2012 and while there coached Kia's older sister Tamika.

Miller was quite familiar with and to the Nurse family when he started recruiting Kia.

 

[Bigboote]

Sparks are MUCH easier to like now that Parker and Cambage are gone. Plus they have ONO and Lou1. Not a fan of Chennedy "Hollywood" Carter (yeah they actually call her that here. Where's my vomit emoji???), but it's more her game I don't like than her personality.

View attachment 79960

I know they're your hometown team, but I didn't expect you to go all Exorcist on me (love that gif, very Hallowe'en).

 

[JellyBean]

Man, this is going to be interesting. Wasn't there some issue with Coach Miller and Chiney Ogwumike awhile back? When he was questioning her character & commitment levels when she played for the Sun. Hopefully, they patched things up. It was a six years ago but who knows. But I like this hire. The Sparks has some players there, just depends on who stays or moves on.

 

[Jackalope]

Sue, this is Jen. Would you like to coach the Sun?

 

[eebmg]

Sue, this is Jen. Would you like to coach the Sun?

With Paige as assistant