Connecticut Sun vs Las Vegas Aces WNBA game at Mohegan – John Cardullo

by John Cardullo, sportswriter

Photo, top: Introduction of the Connecticut Sun starting lineup

The WNBA has found a home and these ladies are not backing down, they are taking their seat at the professional sports table!

I recently attended my first WNBA game, and I was surprised at the presentation. It was a game between the Connecticut Sun and the Las Vegas Aces at the Mohegan Sun arena. Not knowing what to expect, I found that my seats gave me a fantastic view of the action on the court. It was a close to being a sold-out event. The arena itself holds a little more than 10,000 people.

The venue had the mainstay action that most every sporting event now has, a roving M.C. that moved throughout the crowd conducting contests and giveaways to patrons. A DJ blaring out music and mixes that got the crowd involved. A youth dance team performed and there was even a tee shirt giveaway that included bringing out a cannon to reach the upper deck. There was even a fashion film clip, showing what the players were wearing to the arena before the game, a catwalk moment that is selling the sex appeal of the players in the league.  Most of these pregame, in game, and post-game antics have become the norm for attending the modern sporting event, no matter what sport you are attending.

What made this event a cut above the rest is the game itself. Like many others, I had begun following the WNBA last season when the Indiana Fever drafted the University of Iowa star player Caitlin Clark with the number one pick of the 2024 draft. I began following Clark’s career her senior year. I found that she was something special and wanted to see what her future held. Going from the college to professional level usually brings players down to reality. But in Clarks’ case she was the real deal! She stepped up without hesitation into the spotlight and began to come into her own. There were bumps (and bruises) along the way. The physical play of the WNBA surprised me, and the veterans of the league were going to welcome her into the league the way every rookie was welcomed – hard!

Let’s pause for a moment and rewind a bit. To understand today’s modern WNBA, we must go back to when it all began, back to the mid-1990’s when most of today’s players were not even born yet! Contrary to popular belief, the WNBA did not begin in 2024. Although no one can deny the Caitlin Clark effect on the league is not a myth. The WNBA has roots to their beginning on April 24, 1996. Hot off the heels of the first Women’s Olympic basketball team to win their first gold medal. That team was led by Lisa Leslie (who is known as the first women basketball player ever to dunk!), Sherryl Swoops, Rebecca Lobo. They went onto beat Brazil 111-87 for the gold medal. The Olympics that year were held in Atlanta, Georgia.  But by then, the groundwork was already in place to launch the WNBA. The advertising campaign with the top women basketball players saying, “We got next!” proved to be the rallying cry for what was to come.

The first WNBA game was played on June 21, 1997, at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles, where the New York Liberty defeated the Los Angeles Sparks 67-57. The road from those humble beginnings to where the WNBA stands today wasn’t always smooth, however, the WNBA enjoyed then, as they enjoy today, support from its big brother, the National Basketball Association (NBA). The upstart league also enjoyed a financial boost by landing television and broadcasting outlets. These, as the modern sports scene have proven to be the lifeblood of any sports league.

Many of today’s sports make big money selling their broadcast rights. From the National Football League to the Little League World Series and the NCAA basketball tournament have benefited from broadcasting and reaping in big money from network and cable television. This turned Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi into famous names and became the players that future generations of little girls who went on to play in youth leagues, high school and college level and hopefully professional players would go to sleep dreaming about becoming down the road. One of the most ingenious decisions was not to compete head-to-head with the NBA. The WNBA schedule begins after the NBA heads home for their summer break. The WNBA fills the long summer nights with an alternative to other sports that just no longer holds the fans attention. They give fans something else, something new, something fresh!

National Anthem presented by the military honor guard- the game was a salute to the US Armed Services

The WNBA had its successes and setbacks in its start. The Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs, Utah Starzz and both the Liberty and Sparks were the foundation of the league. The league expanded when the Miami Sol, Portland Fire joined the league. But all was not glitter and gold while the new Orlando team became the Connecticut Sun, Utah went from the Starzz to the San Antonio Silver Stars, before finally finding a home when they became the Las Vegas Aces and The Detroit Shock moved to Tulsa and became the Dallas Wings.

Currently the WNBA has expanded to 13 teams adding the Golden State Valkyries (the mythical guardians of Asguard home of Thor the God of Thunder), with two more teams scheduled to join the league in 2026 and 5 more by 2030.

Teams that are owned by current NBA franchises include The Indiana Fever (Indiana Pacers), Washington Mystics (Washington Wizards), the Mercury (Phoenix Suns), Minnesota Lynx (Minnesota Timberwolves) as well as the NY Liberty (Brooklyn Nets) and the LA Sparks (LA Lakers extended owners group since 2014 led by Magic Johnson). Growth is essential for any successful business and for the WNBA, keeping a handle on the here and now while keeping an eye on the future is the perfect business model. Expansion and continued growth are what this league has become.

Conn Sun youth dance team performing between the 1st and 2nd quarters.

It comes as no surprise that the popularity of the league coincides with the popularity of women’s college basketball on the national scene.

The University of Connecticut has become a juggernaut in women’s basketball. Many compare the Huskies success as the mirror of the UCLA men’s basketball teams of the 1960’-70’s, complete with their own coaching legend Geno Auriemma. Auriemma has been at the helm at UConn for 40 years, winning the Women’s National Championship 12 times. His first was in 1995, then again in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2025. UCLA had the wizard of Westwood, John Wooden, whose Bruins won 10 Men’s National Championship’s. The women’s programs have gotten very competitive over the last decade with UConn leading the way while UCLA, South Carolina, Texas, LSU, Duke, TCU, USC and Notre Dame have developed powerful programs during this time. The fact of the matter is that college women’s basketball has become an event to attend, not just a game.

Today’s stars have the pioneers to thank for the position they find themselves and the game in. Players like Clark, A’Ja Wilson, Angel Reese, Napheese Collier, Breanna Stewart, Jackie Young, Alyssa Thomas, Paige Bueckers (the number one pick from UConn by the Dallas Wings). As the popularity of the WNBA continues to grow, the players, coaches and owners need to keep staying the course and continue following the blueprint that they created.

The women’s professional basketball league is now out of the bottle and there is no going back. My advice to you is to go out and see a game, you will be entertained, you will get caught up in the excitement and yes, you will get hooked! The bottom line is that these ladies can play ball.

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John Cardullo, sportswriter. John is a lifelong Rhode Islander. His sports experience is extensive, as a player, coach and sponsor of youth and high school sports. He has been the Public Address Announcer for the CCRI Men’s and Women’s Soccer teams. Both the Cranston East and Cranston West football, Cranston East Boys and Girls basketball for 12 years before moving onto the Central, Juanita Sanchez and Mt. Pleasant football teams. Also, Central HS Boys and Girls Basketball, Scituate High School Boys and Girls Basketball, Johnston High School Girls Basketball, Boys Volleyball, Girls Softball, Boys and Girls Soccer teams, and CLCF football.

John has been involved in Men’s softball for 61 years, starting as a batboy for his father’s team in 1964. He moved to the teams scorekeeper then became a player in 1975, and created the men’s team, Players Corner Pub, that went on to win 20 State Championships in their 35 year history. In the 1990’s he published the statewide softball magazine “The Fielders Choice” which was dedicated to all topics related to adult softball. As a feature writer, John and the publication won several media awards. In 2019 he was elected and inducted into the Rhode Island Slow Pitch Softball Hall of Fame which he also helped create. John is a softball umpire in Warwick, Rhode Island.

In his spare time John golfs with his life long friends in season. After retiring from the printing Industry after a 45-year career, he now writes specialty sports columns for RINewsToday.com, is still actively engaged in the high school sports scene, and will soon launch a radio show/podcast on high school sports.

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