The Connecticut Sun made their last draft picks for its final season on the East Coast as a franchise before heading down south to Houston.
Tuesday, April 14, 2026 4:02PMunder the Fertitta family's ownership to revive the Houston Comets for the 2027 WNBA season. In total, 45 women were called by Commissioner Cathy Englebert to find out where they would be playing within the next few weeks.joining the Dallas Wings to reunite with her former Huskies teammate, Paige Bueckers, who was also Dallas' No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. The Sun had two draft picks in the first round through various trades. The first selection was 19-year-old forward and French professional player Nell Angloma at No. 12 in a trade with the Phoenix Mercury. Angloma joins the team from the Basket Lattes Montpellier Association. She represented France at the 2024 FIBA-U18 Women's EuroBasket, where she averaged 14 points and 7 rebounds, ultimately leading her team to the championship, earning MVP honors and being named to the All-Tournament Team, according to her draft stats. The franchise then took it west, selecting national champion UCLA guard Gianna Kneepkens at No. 15 through a trade with the Minnesota Lynx, and her teammate, New Zealand professional basketball player Charlisse Leger-Walker, in the second round.
Kneepkens started her career at Utah, where she averaged 19.3 points a game before officially transferring to UCLA in her final year of eligibility. She was placed on the preseason watchlist for the 2026 Naismith Trophy College Women's Player of the Year. Walker made her debut for the New Zealand women's national team at 16 years old. During her collegiate tenure, she played at Washington State, where she earned 4 All-Pac-12 Team , Pac-12 Freshman of the Year , and Pac-12 All-Freshman Team . She was granted an additional year of eligibility due to COVID-19 and transferred to UCLA, where she rehabbed her ACL injury after redshirting during the 2024-25 season. The Kneepkens/Walkers selections put UCLA over the record for the most first-round draft picks from a single university, with 6 players drafted overall. The record had been held by UConn since 2002. In the third round, the team stayed home and selected UConn forward Serah Williams. Williams made a dent in her collegiate career at Wisconsin, making the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and being named Big Ten Freshman of the Week four times. She ultimately hit the transfer portal to play under Geno Auriemma at UConn.
The draft wasn't the only place where the team made off-season moves. It was reported that Houston native and 10x WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner would be moving on from the Atlanta Dream to the Sun in a seven-figure, one-year deal. Griner will be joining veterans Tina Charles and Marina Mabrey, along with a promising young core led by rookie point guard Leïla Lacan, who joined the team at midseason and is under contract for three more years.
The Sun finished the 2025 season with an 11-33 record and 11th overall in the Eastern Conference.
Copyright © 2026 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Diesel spill reported at PEMEX Deer Park dock along Houston Ship ChannelA diesel spill occurred Sunday morning at PEMEX Deer Park’s dock along the Houston Ship Channel. The source of the leak was identified and isolated, and containment measures are being deployed by the refinery’s response team.
Read more »
Phil Garner, who guided Houston Astros to historic first World Series trip, dies at 76Phil Garner, known as 'Scrap Iron' for his gritty playing style, was a three-time All-Star infielder who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball and later managed several teams, including leading the Houston Astros to their first World Series appearance.
Read more »
Sun Devil lacrosse & football fan fest | ASU All AccessThis week on ASU All Access, we're talking with the top goal scorers in ASU lacrosse history and getting ready for Sun Devil football Fan Fest.
Read more »
Brittney Griner to sign with Connecticut Sun, AP source saysThe 35-year-old Griner is from Houston and the Connecticut franchise is moving there in 2027. The 6-foot-9 forward won a WNBA title in 2014 with Phoenix and was the league's leading scorer in 2017 and 2019.
Read more »
Astros vs Mariners Prediction, Picks & Odds for Today's MLB GameHouston avoids the sweep in our Astros vs. Mariners predictions and MLB picks for April 13.
Read more »
WNBA Draft: Future Houston Comets were selected tonight by Connecticut SunPending WNBA approval, the Connecticut Sun are moving to Houston next season to become the Houston Comets.
Read more »
