Connecticut Sun add young talent in crucial draft for the franchise’s future

The Sun selected LSU 6’1 forward Aneesah Morrow with the No. 7 overall pick and NC State 6’1 guard Saniya Rivers with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft. The Sun also drafted USC 6’4 forward Rayah Marshall with the 25th pick.

During the offseason the Sun stayed busy making numerous trades with other franchises, putting themselves in a good position to draft fresh, young talent as they enter a transitional period.

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The double-double machine

Morrow sees herself fitting in with the Sun and their vision for the future, and says she is ready to tackle the next level, doing whatever it takes.

“Just being able to have the opportunity, take advantage of those opportunities once I get to market and put the work in and try to be a workaholic,” Morrow told reporters just minutes after being drafted.

Morrow, double-double threat while at LSU, told reporters she has always looked up to former Sun player and legend Alyssa Thomas, herself a triple-double machine.

“I always watch [Alyssa Thomas],” Morrow said. “She’s undersized, but she holds her own. She don’t take no shit from nobody. She comes in there and she holds her own every night. She can defend on almost every position, and that’s hard. You have to know and have the skill to do that. You have to know who you’re guarding. You have to know your scouting report. And she’s very productive with that.”

Morrow is second all-time for double-doubles in the NCAA, with 104 recorded double-doubles over the course of her collegiate career.

Rivers of dreams

Right after Morrow finished speaking, Rivers sat down in the press conference room in front of a large crowd of media members and placed a white purse on the table with “The WNBA Been Poppin” written on it.

“I use this as motivation,” Rivers explained. “I was just like, I’m at the WNBA draft. I’m hoping to be a WNBA player. And just as the bag says, we’re popping, so I want to speak it into existence and be a part of the popping crew. And now that I’m here, I can truly say that I’m ready to, pop it.”

For Rivers, last night’s draft was a dream come true. During her press conference, she reflected on what the opportunity to experience the draft and play in the league meant to her:

“I think the whole experience is something to treasure,” Rivers said. “Honestly, the whole weekend, I felt absolutely blessed. I think the fact that my family is here supporting me at the table and in the crowd it means the world to me. Like I said already, they’ve sacrificed so much time, money, energy, and just the fact they’re sitting here with me today, and the fact that I’m talking to you guys today is just so surreal. So I’m just grateful for the opportunity.”

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How do they fit?

During the offseason, Connecticut lost their main sources of scoring in forward Alyssa Thomas, forward-guard DeWanna Bonner and guard-forward DiJonai Carrington. Thomas and Bonner were also huge for the Sun on the glass, as was center Brionna Jones, who the Sun lost to Atlanta. Jones played just seven games for the Sun from 2023-2024 because of an Achilles injury.

Although the Sun added center Tina Charles to their roster, Charles will need some assistance on both ends of the court in order for the team to find success. Morrow’s athleticism allows her to help fill that void and she has been an efficient rebounder. According to CBB Analytics, during the 2024-25 season, Morrow took most of her shots in the paint and was most successful around the rim. Along with her offensive rebounding and ability to lock up second-chance points, she has potential to complement the Sun’s offense with Charles and guard Marina Mabrey.

Morrow will have to adjust to the WNBA, especially since she’s considered to be an undersized post player. But this past season, she showed resilience, stepping up and leading LSU to the Elite Eight with 30 points and 19 rebounds.

On the other hand, Rivers has a quickness that allows her to be an elite defender which will be valuable for the Sun after losing reigning Most Improved Player and Defensive player of the year candidate in Carrington.

Rivers is generally a player that does well in transition, but struggles in a stagnant offense. Her scoring also lacks consistency, particularly from beyond the arc, at times. But if Rivers continues to improve her shot taking and scoring ability, she has potential to takeoff with the Sun and elevate her game.

As for three-point scoring, the Sun are so far relying on Mabrey to handle that side, and her scoring ability from distance will help to spread the floor and possibly open up the paint for Charles, Morrow and Rivers. The Sun should find others to support Mabrey, however.

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A new trio in town

In the NCAA, Morrow, Rivers and Marshall all made a mark and led their teams to the Sweet Sixteen this past season. 

Morrow and Rivers faced off in the Sweet Sixteen during the NCAA tournament and are now glad to be on the same team rather than opponents.

“That’s my dog. Y’all I’m so happy to be playing with her,” Rivers said about Morrow. “I was literally telling people like playing against her in the W was gonna be so tough. I literally had to guard her in the Sweet Sixteen, and I was just like, ‘we not doing that’. So just to be able to team up with her, she has that dog mentality, and she’s just a great person on and off the court, a great teammate. I’ve seen her be a great team to others. So I’m just really looking forward to playing alongside her and just growing together. And we gonna make some noise for sure.” 

Marshall also can be a key to the Sun’s future success after helping lead USC to back-to-back Elite Eight appearances (2024, 2025). The 6’4 forward and Los Angeles native is just the eighth player in program history to reach 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.

The trio is ready to take the court for their rookie seasons this summer and said they can’t wait to make an impact and learn from veteran players like Tina Charles.

“She’s a dog, double-double machine as well,” Morrow said about Charles. “And being able to be a sponge and learn as much about the league as she knows, would be great. You have to come in, you have to learn from your vets and you’re trying to get where they’re at. So you have to be respectful, come up in there and be dominant on the floor, but also be happy to go under their shoulder and ask them questions and learn.”

Morrow and Rivers are going to impact the level of success Connecticut sees this season, but under veteran leadership in Charles and Mabrey they have the potential to expand their skills greatly and set the Sun up to thrive in the future.