Haley Peters, Amy Okonkwo Shine Amid Sun’s Preseason Setback

Haley Peters (No. 7) and Tina Charles (No. 31) drive to the offensive end of the floor against Skylar Diggins and the Settle Storm. (Photo: Luis Torres | The Podium Finish)

SEATTLE — In the first glimpse of the Connecticut Sun’s 2025 identity, head coach Rachid Meziane’s squad experienced early growing pains but saw promising flashes in a 79–59 preseason loss to the Seattle Storm on Sunday night at Climate Pledge Arena. However, Haley Peters and Amy Okonkwo were some of the bright spots of the game.

Connecticut, in the midst of a rebuild following the offseason, welcomed back Tina Charles, the highly decorated UConn Huskies power forward, along with acquiring catalysts like Jacy Sheldon in a trade with the Dallas Wings and Lindsay Allen, acquired from the Chicago Sky.

In the early going, Seattle stormed to a 24-12 lead over Connecticut, showcasing immediate chemistry and familiarity. Once the Sun made some adjustments in the second quarter, they were able to keep pace or within striking distance of the Storm.

Charles, drafted by the Sun in 2010, thrived with 13 points, three rebounds, an assist and steal. At one point, after trailing by as many as 22 points, Charles’ scoring prowess trimmed Seattle’s lead to 15 points.

Peters, a veteran forward, playing her first WNBA game since 2019, was one of the catalysts for the Sun, finishing with 10 points on a perfect 3-for-3 mark from beyond the arc. While the box score may have favored Seattle, Peters recognized the value in the night’s experience and the lessons it brought.

“I think it was a starting point,” Peters said. “I think we can see a lot of the things that we need to work on as a team, especially defensively. I think it has to be a big part of our identity, how we defend, and there were good moments tonight, but there wasn’t a lot of consistency and discipline throughout 40 minutes of the game so we have that.

“And individually, I think the same thing. I think defensively, I have some stuff I can work on. And then just getting our pace with the ball.”

Joining Peters in making a strong impression was Okonkwo, who logged valuable minutes and played with poise and presence. The 6-foot-2 forward, who spent time overseas before signing a training camp contract with the Sun, echoed the need for collective growth.

“I think that means a lot to be able to get meaningful minutes tonight, to be able to play with this team and have the opportunity to get better as a team as well,” Okonkwo said. “Just as Haley said, I think that there’s a lot of things that we can work on as a team and individually and just progress as the season goes.”

While Connecticut is still finding its rhythm, the Storm showcased their own chemistry led by Nneka Ogwumike. On the strength of an 18 points, five boards and four dimes, the WNBA veteran underscored how the team’s unity and attention to detail paid dividends throughout the night.

“We have an amazing, amazing group of vets, but also an amazing group of younger players who are incredibly focused and are absorbing not just anything that nobody’s saying, but everything that the vets are saying, everything that we’re doing,” Ogwumike said. “And we wanted to we want to ensure that we were doing what we have been working on these last few days in camp.

“We’re not going to steer away from that. We’re going to continue to execute the things that we’ve been seeing in practice. And everybody locked into that, and we were able to maintain that intensity even through, you know, the lows and the highs of the game.”

Li Yueru (No. 28) of the Seattle Storm has embraced her new teammates with ease. (Photo: Luis Torres | The Podium Finish)

One of those younger players, Li Yueru, made the most of her floor time for Seattle. Yueru, joining the Storm via a blockbuster trade involving the Las Vegas Aces and Los Angeles Sparks, admitted to some early nerves but credited her new teammates for helping her settle in.

“I still learn a lot of things and my teammates teach me a lot,” Yueru said. “And yeah, I just try to do some easy things like the practice. Sometimes I feel nervous and my whole teammates tell me, ‘Just do what you want to do and just do easy things.’ I feel that let me feel really better.”

On the other side, Meziane, making his debut as a WNBA head coach, acknowledged the slow start and emphasized the importance of better execution from the outset.

“Better intention. And just by respecting what we were supposed to do,” Meziane observed. “We didn’t stick to our plan at the beginning of the game. So we know that we cannot control everything. But at the beginning of the game, we didn’t control nothing.

“So it’s for a while, I think that our start out was very bad, but we fixed some problems during the game, but we are still are learning each other. And for many players, it was their first WNBA game. They never played together. So we can see that we have a lot of hard work to do and to create this chemistry and connect people.”

Connecticut head coach Rachid Meziane hopes for more progress with his team ahead of the New York Liberty. (Photo: Luis Torres | The Podium Finish)

One of the brights spots for the Sun was Peters’ familiarity with Meziane’s system. Having played for him internationally, the coach pointed to her comfort level as a key asset moving forward.

“Yeah, but it’s a little bit easier for for Haley because she knows my system,” he offered. “I coached her last year and four years ago. So she knows how she’s a facilitator. So, I think that it was a little bit easier for her today, but this is a good thing, but she did this game, and she shot the ball.

“She brings her size. I like the way she played. But at the end of the day, we lost the game by 20 points.”

The Next Sunrise

With one preseason game under their belt, the Sun will look to build momentum in their next matchup Friday night against the New York Liberty. With performances from Peters and Okonkwo, along with a commitment to growth, Connecticut is laying the foundation for what is next under the Meziane era.

The Rundown

Amy Okonkwo (No. 0) of the Connecticut Sun looks to make a pass while being guarded by Nneka Ogwumike (No. 3) of the Seattle Storm. (Photo: Luis Torres | The Podium Finish)

Connecticut Sun: By the Numbers

Tina Charles (No. 31) of the Connecticut Sun is back with the team her WNBA career started. (Photo: Luis Torres | The Podium Finish)

Seattle Storm: By the Numbers

Serena Sundell (No. 2) of the Seattle Storm guards Haley Peters (No. 7) of the Connecticut Sun. (Photo: Luis Torres | The Podium Finish)