The Connecticut Sun announced French coach Rachid Meziane as the seventh head coach in franchise history on Wednesday.
Meziane, a native of Clemont-Ferrand, France, has spent the last five years as the head coach of Villeneuve d’Ascq in the French Ligue Feminine de Basketball. He led the team to a league championship and a runner-up finish in the EuroLeague in 2024. Meziane is also the head coach of Belgium’s women’s national team, which finished fourth at the 2024 Paris Olympics after falling to Australia in the bronze medal game.
Between the Ligue Feminine and Belgian national team, Meziane has coached multiple current and former WNBA players including New York Liberty forward Kennedy Burke, two-time All-Star Emma Meeseman and standout Washington Mystics rookie Julie Vanloo. Though she has never played under Meziane directly, the Sun also drafted French guard Leila Lacan in the first round of the 2024 WNBA Draft with hopes that she will join the roster as a rookie in 2025.
“I am honored to represent a franchise like the Connecticut Sun, a team and organization with a rich history and a passionate fan base,” Meziane said in a statement. “I look forward to working with our talented roster and assembling a dedicated coaching staff, as we continue to build upon the Sun’s legacy and strive for a championship.”
The Sun are the fourth WNBA team to hire a new head coach since the end of the 2024 season, with the Washington Mystics and Dallas Wings still looking to fill their vacancies. Connecticut parted ways with head coach Stephanie White at the end of October after two seasons, and White was hired days later as the new head coach of the Indiana Fever. Meziane is the first international head coach in Sun history, and he is also the first coach hired without any previous WNBA coaching experience since Mike Thibault came from the Milwaukee Bucks in 2003.
Connecticut also announced a surprise change at general manager on Tuesday, promoting former UConn star Morgan Tuck to the position after two years as assistant general manager and three as the director of franchise development. Darius Taylor, who served as general manager for two seasons during White’s tenure, will move to a new role in the front office as director of scouting and chief basketball strategist.
“We are thrilled to welcome Rachid as the new head coach of the Connecticut Sun,” Tuck said in a statement. “He brings a wealth of experience, passion, and a proven track record of success that will help elevate our players and team as a whole. Rachid’s dedication and commitment to growing women’s basketball, internationally and domestically, brings a unique perspective both on and off the court that aligns with the values and vision of our organization. We look forward to the future under Rachid’s leadership and are excited for the positive impact he will have on our team and community.”
The Sun’s roster is in a tumultuous position entering 2025, beginning with the first expansion draft since 2008 for the Golden State Valkyries on Friday. Every team submitted a list of six protected players ahead of the draft, and the Valkyries will be able to select from the remaining available pool excluding unrestricted free agents who are not eligible for a core designation. Connecticut can protect most of its key pieces but will likely have to leave one of Veronica Burton, Olivia Nelson-Ododa or Lacan available for Golden State.
Connecticut has five players hitting unrestricted free agency in 2025, including its All-Star trio of Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones. Thomas is the only one eligible for a core designation, and the Sun will face an uphill battle to retain Jones and Bonner as other franchises invest heavily in resources like practice facilities and player services. The team also does not have a first-round draft pick in 2025 after trading it to the Chicago Sky to acquire Marina Mabrey in July.
