The Connecticut Sun and Seattle Storm are both determined to improve their defensive performances when they clash on Sunday in Uncasville, Conn. 
Connecticut suffered a lopsided 106-75 defeat on the road against the New York Liberty on Friday. Now, the Sun prepare for their final home opener in what marks their farewell season in Connecticut, as the franchise is set to relocate to Houston in 2027.
Seattle faced a similar struggle, falling 91-80 to Golden State at home in their season opener on Friday.
Diamond Miller, who paced the Sun with 16 points, did not hold back in her assessment of the team’s defensive shortcomings.
“We felt like our defense was flat. They were pretty much getting what they wanted, and that’s just unacceptable,” Miller said. “This is our jobs. And we have to be better. And we will be better.”
Like the Sun, the Storm allowed four opposing players to reach double figures. First-year Seattle head coach Sonia Raman acknowledged the need for improvement.
“The defensive side of the ball is obviously where we need to keep focusing,” Raman said. “The offense will come. First game, a lot to get better at.”
Dominique Malonga led Seattle with 21 points and eight rebounds. The 2025 No. 2 overall pick became the youngest player in league history (20 years old) to reach 200 career boards.
Zia Cooke (15 points) and Jade Melbourne (13) contributed double-digit scoring off the bench for Seattle.
The Storm gave up 15 three-pointers, a performance that did not sit well with the players.
“We discussed it in the locker room. That’s the worst we’re going to be for like the rest of the season,” Melbourne said.
The Sun didn’t fare much better beyond the arc, allowing 10 three-pointers.
Offensively for Connecticut, Aneesah Morrow scored 15 points and Brittney Griner added 13, joining Miller in double figures.
Sun coach Rachid Meziane hopes his team learns from the opening loss and can avoid another slow start after falling behind 36-13 in the first quarter against New York.
“I hope that … it was a good learning opportunity for us, and just understand that we cannot start a game like that,” Meziane said.
