Alyssa Thomas talks about the Connecticut Sun expanding their fanbase into Boston, and playing at TD Garden on August 20th.
The Connecticut Sun will take their talents to Boston next week for one of the most anticipated regular-season games in franchise history.
On Tuesday, Aug. 20, the Sun will take on the Los Angeles Sparks in the first WNBA game at TD Garden, the home of the 18-time NBA champion Boston Celtics. It will be a landmark moment for the team as it looks to expand its fanbase across New England.
Sun star and Olympic gold medalist Alyssa Thomas is looking forward to the opportunity for growth. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, she opened up about the team -- which typically plays home games at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. -- wanting its own practice facility and other benefits that come with playing in a larger market.
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"That's one thing with playing on Team USA and being around other players that are in markets that are the staple of what you want your organization to be. Honestly, Connecticut is super behind it when it comes to that," Thomas said. "I've been here 11 years and yes, we've made changes, but a lot of things still have so much room for improvement.
"Women's basketball is hot right now and so many people want to support what we're doing, and I think going to Boston is a huge step to a market that is bigger. With how basketball is shaping up and less players are going overseas, I mean, we need our own practice facility and things like that because the time is now and people want to come and stay in the cities and train like that. Not a lot of people want to stay in Connecticut, and we don't have the facilities that you can train all year round in that aspect. So, I'm excited for Boston. Yes, Connecticut has been our home, but we just want to continue to grow our fanbase, and Boston is the next step."
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The TD Garden game on Aug. 20 highlights what should be an entertaining second half of the regular season for the Sun. They currently own the second-best record in the league at 18-6, trailing only the New York Liberty (21-4).
As for Thomas, the veteran forward is averaging 11.6 points and 7.6 assists while leading Connecticut in rebounds per game (9.2) and steals per game (1.5).
Thomas and the Sun will return to action Friday against the Dallas Wings. Tuesday's game in Boston is set for 7 p.m. ET, with NBC Sports Boston hosting pre- and postgame coverage live at TD Garden beginning at 6:30 p.m.
