Brionna Jones, left, stands with Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown, Thursday at TD Garden in Boston holding each other’s jerseys. It was announced that the Sun will host a WNBA game at the TD Garden next August. (Photo courtesy Connecticut Sun)
The Connecticut Sun will be playing a home game at TD Garden in Boston next August, the team announced in a news release on Thursday. The game, which will be August 20, will be the first WNBA game to be played in Boston.
All-Star Brionna Jones and several Sun executives were in Boston on Thursday prior to the Boston Celtics’ game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“The Sun is New England’s professional women’s basketball team with passionate fans across the region,” said Jennifer Rizzotti, the president of the Sun. “Hosting our game in Boston, a place full of such a rich, winning tradition for New England sports, just made sense.
“Our vision is to provide access and exposure to the Connecticut Sun brand to thousands of sports fans, children and their families, and for young girls to see first-hand that they can play at Boston’s hallowed TD Garden someday,” she said.
“The Connecticut Sun is thrilled to have the opportunity to play the first ever WNBA regular season game in Boston at the TD Garden arena. We know that Boston and the surrounding New England area has a strong passion for the game and a historic sports tradition, “ said Darius Taylor, the Sun’s general manager.
The Sun have played one home game in Hartford in 2003 during their first year in Connecticut but this will be their first home game played out of state.
Connecticut’s Tiffany Hayes has announced her retirement from the WNBA.
Hayes retires from WNBA: Former UConn star Tiffany Hayes is retiring from the WNBA, she announced on her own podcast.
She spent her first 10 years in the WNBA with the Atlanta Dream, before joining the Sun last summer.
Hayes started in all 40 regular season contests for Connecticut, averaging 12.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Hayes finished in double-figures scoring in 28 of 40 regular season contests in 2023, including 14 straight from August 1 through Sept. 8. She also tied her postseason career-high with 30 points in Game 2 of the WNBA semifinals against New York on Sept. 26.
“We are so grateful for the season we had with Tip,” said Sun head coach Stephanie White. “She is the ultimate competitor and professional. She plays with passion, toughness, competes on both ends and leaves it all on the floor. I said it all season long.
“She’s one of the few players in the history of league that can get downhill and beat people with that quick first step. She is elite in every sense of the word. We wish Tip the best and congratulate her on an outstanding career,” White said.
In her WNBA career, Hayes was All-WNBA first team (2018), WNBA All-Defensive second team (2018), WNBA All-Rookie team (2012) and a WNBA All-Star (2017).
Hayes is currently playing overseas in China for the Shanghai Swordfish in the WBCA. She is averaging 24.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.0 steals per game.
