The Connecticut Sun hit the reset button this season. With last year’s entire starting lineup gone, the team underwent a major overhaul, starting at the top. First came the hiring of Rachid Meziane, a big name in European basketball but a fresh face in the WNBA. It was a bold move, bringing in a coach with no prior experience in the league. But it signaled something: the Sun was going all-in on a new identity. Then came the draft. With back-to-back first-round picks, Connecticut selected Aneesah Morrow at No. 7 and Saniya Rivers at No. 8, two players loaded with talent, potential, and the kind of fire a rebuilding team needs.

So with the Sun stepping into action against the New York Liberty, it was supposed to be a glimpse of the future. But the ball hasn’t even tipped off and the team is already shorthanded.

The team’s game status report told the story.

Five of the players from Sun’s roster have been listed out. According to the sources, the names include Diamond DeShields (right ankle), Leïla Lacan (overseas obligations), Amy Okonkwo (left hip, questionable), Saniya Rivers (personal reasons), and then there was Aneesah Morrow, out with a right knee issue.

Among all the names, Morrow’s absence stood out the most. She didn’t participate in Sunday’s preseason opener against Seattle and will be out again for the final exhibition game. The specifics of the injury haven’t been disclosed as of now. And while her unavailability was marked as ‘precautionary’ by the team, there are growing concerns about whether her injury will impact the game against the Mystics on May 18.

After all, Morrow isn’t just another rookie. She’s a proven leader, a relentless competitor, and someone who’s always put the team first. Over her four-year college career, she tallied 104 double-doubles—the second-most in NCAA Division I history. She was All-SEC First Team, made the SEC All-Defensive Team, earned All-American honors, and was the heart of LSU’s squad this past season.

Losing her, even for a preseason game, leaves a noticeable gap. Especially when you consider who Morrow looks up to: former Sun star Alyssa Thomas. Morrow has said it herself. For her, Thomas is the blueprint. She’s the kind of do-it-all force Morrow has modeled her game after.

So, for a team searching for its next identity, having someone who idolizes the franchise’s previous cornerstone only adds to her importance. She was even supposed to fill in the gaps left by Thomas’ departure. Sun’s GM had said it without holding anything back. “So to me it’s promising when we see someone like AT with the mindset she has, how she approaches things and then seeing Aneesah and how she approaches her game,” Morgan Tuck shared. “It makes me very, very excited for Aneesah’s potential.”

But here’s the thing: Tuck was not met with a shock because of Morrow’s knee injury. It didn’t blindside the team. The Sun knew what they were getting, especially since Morrow already had some physical bumps late in her college season.

Aneesah Morrow’s injury struggles were already known!

Aneesah Morrow was a constant for LSU. The senior forward played in every game throughout her career, so when she suddenly wasn’t suited up against Georgia, fans took notice. It was a rare sight. Turns out, she’d gotten stepped on during a game at Texas and was nursing a bruised foot. Nothing too serious, just a contusion on the top.

Coach Kim Mulkey even said Morrow could’ve played if needed. But LSU played it safe, giving her a breather, for the first time in her college career. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as that same foot came back to haunt her. Fast forward to March 2025. SEC Tournament semifinals.

Morrow battled again, this time against Texas. She stepped awkwardly on an opponent’s foot and re-aggravated that same mid-foot injury. This time, it was worse. She had to be helped off the court and later showed up on the bench in a walking boot. For a moment, it felt like LSU’s postseason dreams might be unraveling.

But Kim Mulkey remained calm, assuring everyone that Morrow would be ready for the NCAA Tournament. Not only did Morrow return, but she also came back with fire. In the Sweet Sixteen against NC State, she dropped a jaw-dropping 30 points and pulled down 19 rebounds.

Her postseason run reminded everyone exactly who she was: one of the toughest, most dominant forwards in the country. By the end of her collegiate career, Morrow had racked up 2,852 points and 1,714 rebounds—good for third all-time in NCAA Division I history in rebounding. She walked away with the Katrina McClain Award, recognized as the nation’s top power forward.

Now, you’d think that was the last ‘injury’ chapter in her college story. But nope.

In the Elite Eight against UCLA, Morrow collided with a teammate and took a shot to the face. The cameras caught her wincing as she held her bloody nose, and social media lit up with concern. But Morrow? She shrugged it off, later denying any major injury, and kept right on playing. Because that’s just who she is.

“She’s a monster—in a good way,” said Vanderbilt head coach Shea Ralph. And if you’ve seen Morrow play, you get it. This past season, she led the entire country with 14.4 rebounds per game. She notched 22 double-doubles. She ranked second nationally in offensive rebounds with 5.3 a game. Her presence on the glass was relentless.

So yeah—there’s no question she can handle the physicality of the WNBA. And hopefully, she will be suiting up soon.