Before the 2025 WNBA season started, a lot of people expected the Connecticut Sun to take a step back after recording the most wins in franchise history in 2024. With all the roster changes and a new coach, it was fair to assume so. But no one thought the drop would be this bad. So, now that the offseason is here and even some big-name coaches around the league are getting fired, Sun fans have been waiting to see if Meziane would be next to go. And well, we finally have an update.

In a recent appearance on WNBA Today podcast, Connecticut Sun’s GM, Morgan Tuck, cleared the air on whether Rachid Meziane would return as the head coach of the team. She said, “I think it’s hard for a lot of coaches when you come in and expect to have immediate success. I know that’s what we all like to see. But sometimes depending on your situation, I just don’t know it that’s as realistic as what we want it to be. I think overall, he’s still gonna be our coach. We’re not changing things up. And I think he’s someone we still believe in and understand and we trust that he’s going to help our team get to where we want it to be.”

When Rachid Meziane took over the coaching duties for the Connecticut Sun, he was aware of the challenges ahead. After making it to the semifinals in 2024 under Stephanie White, the Connecticut Sun’s roster was gutted via trades. Things were so extreme that 12 of 15 players left, including all five starters. So, patience was always going to be key, and while things might not have worked out well in his first year, it’s clear that the Sun is taking a long-term approach.

This is something Meziane has called for time and again. When the Sun reached the All-Star break with a 3–18 record, the worst start in the team’s history, it showed just how tough things had gotten. For him, however, the season had been about learning on the go, figuring out not only how to coach his team, but also how to keep up with the WNBA’s high level of talent and intensity.

“It takes a lot of time and energy,” Meziane told The Next. “You have to question yourself every time, because the game is changing, maybe every month now. The talent we have in W is the biggest thing I have to manage, because we don’t have this in Europe. We have more team ball here, we have more talent, and physicality, but I am sure that if we can mix this team’s style, with the talent [and] with the physicality, it will take a lot of time, but if you can find the good compromise… we can be a successful team.”

Well, Tuck’s trust in the HC isn’t without reason. Rachid Meziane, who grew up in Clermont-Ferrand, France, has made a name for himself in women’s basketball across Europe. He led the French club Villeneuve d’Ascq to a national championship in the 2023–24 season. Before that, he was an assistant coach for France’s women’s national team, which won bronze at the 2020 Olympics. Then, in 2022, he took charge of Belgium’s women’s team and guided them to a gold medal at the FIBA EuroBasket tournament.

What’s ahead for Connecticut amid sale talks?

The Connecticut Sun are standing at a turning point.

Right now, their core is built around a handful of young players (Leïla Lacan, Aneesah Morrow, Rickea Rivers, Aaliyah Edwards, and Kamilla Marshall), all still on rookie contracts. Everyone else on the roster is headed into free agency, which means the team’s next steps depend heavily on who stays and who goes. General Manager Morgan Tuck will likely push to keep familiar names like Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Tina Charles, and Marina Mabrey, but that’s easier said than done.

Tuck’s job this offseason is about more than just filling roster spots. It’s about setting a direction. The Sun needs to keep building around its young talent, making smart choices in the draft and finding affordable players who can make an impact. Signing Charles before the 2025 season proved that good value moves can pay off. Still, Uncasville isn’t usually the first stop for big-name free agents, so the Sun may have to think outside the box, maybe even look overseas for players who fit their vision.

Looming over all these basketball decisions is an even bigger unknown: the future of the franchise itself. There’s been talk about a possible sale, but no one knows for sure what that might mean, or who the new owners would be, or whether the team would stay in Connecticut. What’s certain for now is that the Sun will remain in Uncasville through the 2026 season. Beyond that, though, everything feels up in the air, and that uncertainty could make it even harder to convince top players to come or stay.