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80-542: Amway Arena closed in 2010 and was demolished in 2012. The city of Orlando wanted a downtown arena long before there was talk of an NBA franchise. The arena site on West Livingston Street was approved in December 1983, at a time when concerts and other large-scale events were held at the Orange County Convention Center, which is several miles away from downtown. Discussions on financing delayed

160-724: A free agency approach – making small waves to pry Thompson and Cash from their respective teams and then getting forward Mistie Mims The team had won 13 of their first 17 games before finishing 25-9 to finish 1st in the Eastern Conference. The Sun fended off the Liberty in two close semifinal games to face the Indiana Fever in what was the team's first Conference finals since 2010 . They won Game 1 76–64 in Connecticut to find themselves one win away from

240-422: A $ 1.1-billion improvement package that included $ 480 million for a new arena . The Magic would provide $ 114 million in cash and up-front lease payments and guarantee $ 100 million in bonds toward the arena. The venue plan received final approval on July 26, 2007, and the arena was completed in time for the 2010–11 NBA season. Amway Arena's last day of operation was September 30, 2010, as arena operations then moved to

320-639: A 93–88 victory for the Sun. However, the Fever would respond by winning the next two games and therefore the series, including a playoff record 22-point come-from-behind win in Game 3. During the 2007–08 offseason, the Connecticut Sun made major changes to their roster in an effort to win that ever-elusive championship title. The Sun made three trades, one sending Katie Douglas to the Indiana Fever . In return,

400-631: A bye to the Semifinals. In the best-of-five round, they won in a three-game sweep over the Los Angeles Sparks to meet the Washington Mystics , now coached by former Sun Mike Thibault . In the first WNBA Finals in Connecticut in 14 years, with the #1 Mystics having home-court advantage. The teams split the first two games before Washington won Game 3 94–81. A sixteen-point halftime lead for the Sun in Game 4 proved important when

480-469: A coaching veteran with two NBA titles as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers , as the first head coach for the franchise. On May 24, 2003, the Sun hosted the first regular season game of its inaugural season, which was shown on ABC , the league's new broadcast partner. The Sun yielded to the two-time defending champion Sparks before a sellout crowd of 9,341. At the conclusion of

560-484: A division of Canadian finance company Toronto Dominion , purchased the naming rights at a cost of $ 7.8 million for five years. The building was then renamed to TD Waterhouse Centre. The naming rights with TD Waterhouse expired on November 30, 2006, and the financial company which bought TD Waterhouse's U.S. operations earlier in the year chose not to renew them. The venue was briefly known as "The arena in Orlando" before

640-572: A game and was named All- Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) guard. Neal played for 22 seasons (from 1963 to 1985) with the Globetrotters, appearing in more than 6,000 games in 97 countries. His shaved head earned him his nickname, a reference to the Three Stooges ' Curly Howard , and made him one of the most recognizable Globetrotters. In the 1970s, an animated version of Neal starred with various other Globetrotters in

720-596: A hard-fought three-game series, 2–1, to the Seattle Storm . In the 2005 offseason, the Sun acquired 7'2" (2.18 m) center Margo Dydek . With a dominant post presence, the Sun controlled the Eastern Conference, posting a 26–8 record, the best regular season record for an Eastern Conference team in WNBA history. In the playoffs, the Sun flew to the finals, sweeping the Detroit Shock and the Indiana Fever . In

800-511: A major renovation, but talks were broken off for several years due to the sagging tourist tax dollars. At the grand opening of the Amway Center on October 1, 2010, Crotty remarked "When I look around this building, I think to myself, 'Boy, am I glad that didn't work.' Sometimes good comes out of bad." On September 29, 2006, the City of Orlando and Orange County finally came to an agreement on

880-480: A new naming rights contract was signed, a period of approximately one week. On December 7, 2006, it was announced that Amway would become the new sponsor at a cost of $ 1.5 million over 4 years, or $ 375,000 a year, renaming the building as Amway Arena. As part of the deal, Amway received an initial exclusive option to negotiate for the right to name Orlando's new arena, which had just been announced. The new arena would go on to be named Amway Center . Defunct tenants of

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960-586: A row at one point, but they finished the regular season with a 21–13 record, which placed them second in the Eastern Conference, only one game out of first place. In the playoffs, the New York Liberty won the decisive game three on the Sun's home floor and for the second straight year, the Sun failed to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. The 2009 WNBA All-Star Game was held on July 25 at 3:30 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena ,

1040-557: A study of its impact on the area was filed with state and regional planners. Ground broke in January 1987, four months before the NBA Board of Governors made their final decision to bring Orlando into the league. Construction was completed in 1989 at a cost of $ 110 million ($ 2,099,903.23 as of 2020) – entirely publicly financed. The arena officially opened on January 29, 1989, with a ribbon cutting ceremony and public open house featuring

1120-668: Is located at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut . Despite the inclusion of “Connecticut” in the name, the team technically isn’t under the jurisdiction of the State of Connecticut as Native American tribes are sovereign entities and the Mohegan Sun Arena is located on the Mohegan reservation, though the team is still considered to be located in Connecticut. Mohegan Sun Arena is smaller than most other WNBA arenas, with

1200-675: Is reflective of a modern interpretation of an ancient Mohegan symbol. Capitalizing on the popularity of women's basketball in the state, as a result of the success of the UConn Huskies , the Sun held the distinction of being the only WNBA franchise not to share its market with an NBA team, until the relocation of the Seattle SuperSonics in 2008 left the Storm as an independent team in Seattle . The Sun have qualified for

1280-486: Is to redevelop the site into "a place where high-tech companies locate; and employees of those businesses and other residents live, work, learn and play". Notable basketball events include the 1990 SEC men's basketball tournament , as well as early rounds of the NCAA Tournament in 1993 , 1996 , 1999 , and 2004 . The 42nd annual NBA All-Star Game was held at the facility on February 9, 1992. Games 1 and 2 of

1360-635: The 1995 NBA Finals between the Magic and the Houston Rockets were held at the arena, as well as Games 3, 4, and 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals between the Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers . The final NBA game at Amway Arena was Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics on May 26, 2010; the Magic won that game. The Celtics would then win Game 6 in Boston, advancing to face

1440-439: The 2003 season , the Sun finished with an 18–16 record, which clinched the first playoff berth since the franchise relocated. The Sun swept the second-seeded Sting in the first round of the playoffs, and before being swept by the Detroit Shock in the Eastern Conference Finals. Rebecca Lobo announced her retirement after seven seasons in the WNBA. The Sun returned Katie Douglas , Nykesha Sales and Taj McWilliams-Franklin ,

1520-441: The 2005 WNBA Finals , the Sun were matched up against an equally dominant Sacramento Monarchs team while having to deal with injuries to Lindsay Whalen . Despite having home-court advantage, the Sun lost in four games in the first ever best-of-five format WNBA Finals. The success of the franchise was rewarded in 2005, when the Sun were selected to host the annual WNBA All-Star Game . Sun coach Mike Thibault served as coach for

1600-480: The 2010 season . More often than not, NBA TV picked up the feed from the local broadcast, which are shown nationally. Broadcasters for the Sun games on WCTX consisted of Bob Heussler and Rebecca Lobo , Jennifer Rizzotti or Kara Wolters . From 2012–2014 Sun games were broadcast on CPTV Sports (CPTV-S). For the 2011 season , Sun games were broadcast on Comcast Sports Net New England , with Mike Gorman as an announcer. In addition to Mike Gorman, broadcasters in

1680-715: The Chicago Sky in five games to reach the WNBA Finals for the second time in four seasons. Facing the #1 seed Las Vegas Aces , the Aces narrowly won Game 1 67–64 and then rolled to a 14-point win in Game 2. The Sun scored 105 points in Game 3 back home, but the Aces prevailed in Game 4 78–71 to win the championship. The Sun play in the Mohegan Sun Arena . Mohegan Sun is owned by the Mohegan tribe . The arena

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1760-674: The Dew Tour , an extreme sports franchise started in 2005. It was the site of the PlayStation Pro , the final event each season on the tour. Three ArenaBowl games were held at the facility. The Orlando Predators lost to the Detroit Drive in 1992 and Arizona Rattlers in 1994 before defeating the Nashville Kats in 2000. The final sporting event at Amway Arena was an Orlando Predators game on July 24, 2010, against

1840-816: The Hanna-Barbera animated cartoon Harlem Globetrotters as well as its spinoff, The Super Globetrotters . The animated Globetrotters also made three appearances in The New Scooby-Doo Movies . Neal himself appeared with Meadowlark Lemon , Marques Haynes , and his other fellow Globetrotters in a live-action Saturday morning TV show, The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine , in 1974–75, which also featured Rodney Allen Rippy and Avery Schreiber . Neal also appeared in The White Shadow , The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island , and The Love Boat . On January 11, 2008,

1920-610: The Minnesota Lynx . However, she remained on the team as the Sun posted an 18–16 record in an equally-talented Eastern Conference, winning the #1 seed. In the first round, the Sun defeated the Washington Mystics 2–1. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Sun rolled on, sweeping the New York Liberty . The Sun had made it to the WNBA Finals in their second season of existence. In the Finals, their run would end, as they lost

2000-504: The Mohegan Sun Casino . Currently, the Sun television rights are held by NBC Sports Boston . Select games air instead on sister station NECN . Until 2023, Sun games aired on NESN . Previously, Connecticut Sun games also aired on WCTX (MyTV 9), a local television station for the state of Connecticut . It was the second time WCTX had aired Sun matches. They were also the original home of Sun matches prior to

2080-632: The NBA sold off all of the WNBA franchises to the operators of the respective teams, which placed the league in the middle of team contractions, relocations, and potential labor strife. Since Magic ownership was no longer interested in retaining the rights to the Miracle and no local partnership was reached, the organization ceased operations and was purchased by the Mohegan Tribe . On January 28, 2003, it

2160-1056: The North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame . He was also granted the Harlem Globetrotters ' prestigious "Legends" ring, which is presented to those who make major humanitarian contributions and work for the Harlem Globetrotters organization. A mural commemorating Neal's achievements both as a Globetrotter and his time playing for Dudley High School is painted in the basketball gym of the Hayes-Taylor Memorial YMCA at 1101 East Market Street in Greensboro. He had two daughters and six grandchildren. Neal lived in Houston with his fiancée Linda Ware until his death. On March 26, 2020, Neal died at his home outside Houston at

2240-599: The Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz . On October 20, 2008, Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama held a major outdoor rally immediately outside the Amway Arena north entrance that drew over 50,000 supporters and was televised nationally. Additional speakers at the rally included U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton and Bill Nelson , and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer . The major rally drew national attention to Florida as an election battle-ground state and

2320-654: The WNBA Playoffs in fifteen of their twenty-one seasons in Connecticut. Despite this, they are the oldest remaining franchise without a championship title. Before the franchise relocated to Connecticut in 2003, the team operated as the Orlando Miracle . The Miracle played their home games at TD Waterhouse Centre in Orlando, Florida , as the sister team of the Orlando Magic . After the 2002 season ,

2400-525: The #1 overall seed. The 26 wins tied a franchise record and gave them a bye to the Semifinals. They met the Chicago Sky , who beat them as a #6 seed by winning in four games, which included a 101–95 Game 1 win in double overtime. In 2022, now with the 36-game schedule, the Sun went 25–11 to finish 3rd. They beat the Dallas Wings in the First Round to make the Semifinals, where they narrowly beat

2480-553: The 2016 fourth overall pick in Rachel Banham . In April 2016, the Sun traded Chelsea Gray to the Los Angeles Sparks along with two second round picks in the 2016 WNBA Draft and a 2017 first round pick for Jonquel Jones and the Sparks second round selection in the 2016 WNBA Draft. In the 2016 WNBA Draft, the Connecticut Sun selected Morgan Tuck with their third overall draft pick. After getting three wins in sixteen games on

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2560-493: The 2016 season, the Sun moved Kelsey Bone to the Phoenix Mercury for Courtney Williams and a second round draft selection in the 2017 WNBA Draft. Closing out the 2016 WNBA Season the Sun would win eleven out of the remaining twenty games to finish with a record of 14–20, missing out on the postseason by three wins. In February 2017, the Sun would trade Camille Little to the Phoenix Mercury for Lynetta Kizer from

2640-473: The Connecticut Sun before resigning as the head coach in 2015. Curt Miller would be named head coach of the Connecticut Sun starting in 2016 . During this period, the Sun also hosted two more WNBA All-Star Games at Mohegan Sun Arena. Connecticut acted as host for the 2013 and 2015 contests. With Curt Miller at the helm, changes were made. Elizabeth Williams was sent to the Atlanta Dream for

2720-451: The East to reach their first postseason in five years. In the one-game Second Round, they lost to the Phoenix Mercury 88–83. Chiney returned to action in the 2018 WNBA Season while Stricklen resigned for another run with the Connecticut Sun. The 2019 team continued on the run from last year, as they finished with a 23–11 record to finish as the second best team in the league overall and earn

2800-625: The Eastern Conference, which lost 122-99 . At the end of the game, Lisa Leslie became the first woman to ever dunk in an All-Star Game. In 2006, the Sun would match their 2005 record. Mike Thibault received the WNBA Coach of the Year Award while all five starters were named to the WNBA Eastern Conference All-Star team: Katie Douglas, Margo Dydek, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Nykesha Sales and Lindsay Whalen. In

2880-425: The Finals. However, the Fever struck back with a close victory in Game 2 that saw Shavonte Zellous hit a two-point jump shot with 0.5 seconds remaining to provide the winning points in a 78–76 loss. Back in Connecticut, the Fever got onto a hot start and the Sun (who missed their first thirteen shots from the 3-point line) never recovered. The Fever, who had never won a road elimination playoff game, won 87–71. After

2960-437: The Globetrotters announced that Neal's number 22 would be retired on February 15 in a special ceremony at Madison Square Garden as part of "Curly Neal Weekend." Neal was just the fifth Globetrotter in the team's 82-year history to have his number retired, joining Wilt Chamberlain (13), Meadowlark Lemon (36), Marques Haynes (20) and Goose Tatum (50). On January 31, 2008, it was announced that Neal would be inducted into

3040-488: The Indiana Fever and eighth overall draft selection Brionna Jones in the 2017 WNBA Draft from a three team trade. Ahead of the 2017 WNBA Season, Chiney Ogwumike was suspended due to an injury she suffered overseas causing her to miss the 2017 WNBA Season. By the halfway point of the season, they were 10–7. By the end of the season, they had won 21 games with 13 losses to narrowly finish one game out of 1st place in

3120-782: The Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals . Other sporting events include the 1992 United States Figure Skating Championships and the IHL Finals in 1996, 1999 and 2001, when the Orlando Solar Bears won the Turner Cup in the IHL's last season of operations. During the 1993–94 NHL season , the Tampa Bay Lightning played five of their home games at the arena. In 2004, Orlando was selected as one of five cities to host

3200-640: The Orlando Magic Dancers and Curly Neal . In 1991, the facility was voted "Arena of the Year" by Performance Magazine. It was also nominated for "Best Indoor Concert Venue" in the Pollstar Concert Industry Awards. The arena's design provided for an intimate atmosphere. Spectators in the upper bowl were still relatively close to the floor due to the number of seats in the lower and upper bowls being split almost 50/50, with

3280-505: The Sun Renee Montgomery . Thibault continued to reshape his roster after introducing Kara Lawson at a press conference as a new member of the Sun. Lawson, along with Montgomery was meant to shape a formidable backcourt, which would go with their plans in signing reserves Anete Jēkabsone-Žogota and Tan White . The Sun came into the 2010 WNBA draft with two picks in the first round – the first and seventh overall picks,

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3360-406: The Sun received Tamika Whitmore . Following the monumental trade, Nykesha Sales announced she would sit out the 2008 season due to multiple nagging injuries. 7'2" center Margo Dydek also took the season off due to her pregnancy. With a lineup with three new starters, the Sun started the season by winning eight of their first nine games. The team did slow in progression by losing five games in

3440-674: The Sun. On August 22, 2004, the City of Orlando evicted the Seals and they were forced to sit out the first season of Southern Professional Hockey League play for 2004–05 as a result. They ultimately moved to Kissimmee 's Silver Spurs Arena and resumed play in 2005–2006 as the Florida Seals until they folded. In 2007, the Orlando Sharks, an expansion team in the Major Indoor Soccer League , were to play in

3520-581: The age of 77. No cause of death was released, but Neal's health had been deteriorating in recent years following a stroke. Connecticut Sun The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut , that competes in the Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team is currently the only major league professional sports team based in Connecticut . The team

3600-408: The arena beginning that fall, but rent issues with the arena led them to eventually fold. The Orlando Titans played their first and only season at the arena before folding due to financial troubles. Attendance to Magic NBA games was strong, with a waiting list of 3,700 names on the season ticket list in 1996, even after a 1994 renovation made the seats narrower. However, experts stated that the arena

3680-602: The arena include the IHL 's Orlando Solar Bears , the SPHL 's Orlando Seals , RHI 's Orlando Jackals , MISL 's Orlando Sharks , the WNBA 's Orlando Miracle , and the NLL 's Orlando Titans . The Solar Bears folded in 2001 along with the IHL itself. After the 2002 WNBA season, all franchises were sold to the operators of the teams, and Magic owner Rich DeVos was not interested in keeping them. They relocated to Connecticut and were renamed

3760-408: The attempted comeback of the Mystics came short in a 90–86 decision. In Game 5, the Sun led by two points going into the final quarter. However, the Mystics overpowered them with 27 fourth quarter points to the 14 of the Sun to win 89–78 for the championship. The 2020 season was meant to have a new record of games played with 36. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the WNBA to announce a change to

3840-434: The building Orlando Arena in 1988. It was the city's first choice. The city agreed to allow the Magic to sell the naming rights of the arena in November 1998. It was part of a five-year extension of the team's lease on the building. The search for a corporate sponsor began immediately, and speculation began that Amway would be chosen due to the fact that Magic owner Rich DeVos co-founded it. However, in 1999, TD Waterhouse ,

3920-444: The convention center. The planned site grew 50% from its original plan and consumed three extra blocks south of Lake Dot. In 1986, support was growing to attempt to bring an NBA franchise to Orlando, and general manager Pat Williams knew that having an arena already under construction would be critical for expansion being approved by the league. Considering the importance of the arena, the city voted to allow construction to begin before

4000-422: The cost of building it. They did not, however, say how much. They also indicated they expected public dollars to be used, too. Discussions became contentious in 2001, as the team threatened to look elsewhere if Orlando would not build a new arena, or contribute a significant amount to a renovation. At the time, the team was losing $ 8 million annually. Magic President Bob Vander Weide stated, "If we can't break even in

4080-438: The draft, it was understood that McCray wouldn't be available to participate in the upcoming season due to an ACL injury she sustained in college. There was risk involved concerning her durability, but McCray's potential as a superstar was reason enough to take the leap of faith. The Sun cemented its guard corps with the selection of Allison Hightower in the second round. He then nabbed former Cornhusker Kelsey Griffin , who

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4160-516: The group that formed Thibault's nucleus. General manager Chris Sienko fortified that core with former UConn product Asjha Jones , who was acquired in a three-team trade, and Minnesota Golden Gophers phenom Lindsay Whalen , who was taken with the fourth overall pick in the 2004 Draft . The Sun managed to snag a top pick in one of the deepest draft classes in league history by trading perennial all-star point guard Shannon Johnson . The Sun selected Lindsay Whalen amidst rumors they would trade her to

4240-438: The latter of which was acquired one day prior to the draft from the Tulsa Shock . With its first overall selection in franchise history, the Sun took UConn standout and Player of the Year recipient, Tina Charles , the consensus top prospect available. To diminish the losses of Amber Holt and Chante Black , both of whom were part of the package deal with the Shock, the Sun selected Kansas product Danielle McCray . Prior to

4320-418: The long term and we can't stay competitive, maybe this isn't the best place for us." The Magic outlined where an arena should be built, the potential cost, what type of tax should pay for it and what could be done with the existing building once it was abandoned by the team. In a meeting with county and city officials, team owner DeVos said he was seeking $ 200 million in public money, including $ 121.5 million from

4400-587: The luxury suites near the ceiling. The arena originally seated 15,291 but all the original seats were replaced with narrower ones between 1994 and 1995, increasing capacity by over 2,000 to 17,519. During its entire lifetime, the arena was colloquially known by the nickname of "The O-Rena". It was officially named Orlando Arena, then TD Waterhouse Centre, and finally Amway Arena. After considering several names, including Frederick Arena (suggested by Magic general manager Pat Williams), MagicDome, Quest, Apex and Centrum, then- Orlando Mayor Bill Frederick decided to name

4480-399: The maximum capacity (lower and upper levels) for a basketball game being 9,323. The Sun is the only top-level professional sports franchises located in the state of Connecticut. The New England Black Wolves of the National Lacrosse League formerly shared the Mohegan Sun Arena with the Sun until their relocation in 2020. The Mohegan Sun Arena is located in the center of the mall area of

4560-414: The new Amway Center. The City of Orlando began demolition of Amway Arena's interior on December 15, 2011, originally planning to take about six months to traditionally demolish the facility. The majority of the building was instead imploded at 7:30 a.m. on March 25, 2012, leaving only the corner columns standing, which would be removed along with the rest of the rubble over the following months. One man

4640-449: The off-season, which gave the team some consistency and a year of experience on which to build. Sandrine Gruda and Anete Jēkabsone-Žogota decided to sit out the season, so the Sun looked elsewhere, adding Jessica Moore . In a tough Eastern Conference, the Sun held a 9–5 record going into the All-Star break and finished 21-13 before losing in the Conference Semifinals. The 2012 offseason saw them try to build their team in small ways with

4720-647: The past have included Leah Secondo and Kara Wolters . Audio broadcasts for all home games are done by Bob Heussler , which (excluding blackout games, in which case are available on ESPN3.com ) are streamed to the WNBA League Pass game feeds on the league website. Furthermore, some Sun games are broadcast nationally on CBS (locally via WFSB ), CBS Sports Network , Ion Television (locally via WHPX ), ESPN , ESPN2 and ABC (locally via WTNH ). WNBA Most Valuable Player All–WNBA First Team All–WNBA Second Team WNBA All–Star Game MVP WNBA Most Improved Player WNBA Sixth Woman of

4800-516: The plan that would instead see 22 games played without fans at IMG Academy in Florida. In a twelve-team league that would see eight teams make the playoffs, the Sun went 10–12 to make it as the seventh seed. They won the first two playoff games to reach the Semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces . They won two of the first three games to be on the verge of the WNBA Finals. However, they lost 75–84 and 63–66 to fall short. The 2021 team returned with 32 games played where they lost only six times to clinch

4880-410: The playoffs, the Sun beat the Washington Mystics 76-61 in the first game and 68-65 in the second. But in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Sun lost to the Detroit Shock 1-3, where Connecticut hosted the last game. The Sun stumbled out of the gate in 2007, posting a dismal 5–10 record by late June. However, the Sun stormed back into playoff contention by winning 11 of their next 13 games, to finish

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4960-414: The project for several years due to concerns of the convention center losing money if an arena was built, as an arena would be a better venue for many of the events previously held at the convention center. By the end of 1985, the city and county reached an agreement on a financing plan that would delay the opening of the arena until the end of the decade (unless the county agreed) so it would not compete with

5040-454: The regular season at 18–16, enough to win the #3 seed in the Eastern Conference. In the playoffs, the Sun faced the Indiana Fever in the first round. The Sun came into the series having won all four regular season contests against the Fever. In game 1, despite holding a 17-point lead in the third quarter, the Fever raced back to force overtime. The game went into three overtimes, the first time it had happened in WNBA playoff history, ending with

5120-409: The renovation. Also, at the time, the city still owed $ 40 million on the original construction of the building. Beginning around 2000, the Magic began to push the City of Orlando for a brand new arena, replacing the TD Waterhouse Centre. Since the city, as well as Orange County, were not keen on picking up the tab for a second facility in a little over a decade, the Magic stated they would contribute to

5200-423: The roster, the Sun entered the 2003 season looking to build upon a 2002 campaign in which they missed the playoffs due to a tiebreaker with Indiana . The Sun underwent a total overhaul during the off-season – selecting Debbie Black in the dispersal draft and acquiring former Connecticut star Rebecca Lobo to add another local attraction to join Nykesha Sales. General manager Chris Sienko named Mike Thibault ,

5280-456: The season, Tina Charles was named WNBA Most Valuable Player Award while Montgomery was named WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year Award . On November 20, Thibault (along with his two assistants) was fired with one year remaining on his contract; he had gone 206–134 in ten seasons as coach. With an eye to accomplishing the objective of a WNBA title, the team hired Hall of Famer Anne Donovan as Thibault's successor. Among other WNBA stints, Donovan

5360-411: The second time the Sun had hosted the game. It was broadcast nationally on ABC ( HD ). The 2009 season would prove to be a middling one for the team, which fought to stay around .500 the entire season. An injury to Asjha Jones did not help their chances, and the team ultimately finished 16–18, which was the same record as the Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky for fourth place, but Washington won

5440-420: The task-force determined that the cost of implementing everything that the team wanted would reach up to $ 75 million. However, even if luxury suites were relocated to the midlevel, the city had few corporations in the area willing to pay the $ 100,000-plus a year lease rates. The revenues brought in by the changes likely would not be enough to cover mortgage payments on money that would have to be borrowed to pay for

5520-416: The tiebreaker to advance. Connecticut started its rebuilding process by acquiring DeMya Walker in the dispersal draft of the Sacramento Monarchs , which was held on December 14, 2009. The Sun then snagged the first overall pick in the 2010 collegiate draft in a trade with the Minnesota Lynx ; a trade that saw Lindsay Whalen along with the second overall pick traded to Minneapolis . This package netted

5600-409: The tourist tax collected by the county, $ 50 million from the city of Orlando and $ 28.5 million from the state. Officials were staunchly opposed. Any plans for renovation or replacement relied on tourist-tax revenue, and after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 , the numbers of tourists in the area declined sharply. Then-Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood and Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty were close to a deal for

5680-542: The vicinity such as SunTrust , Lockheed Martin , Darden Restaurants , and Hughes Supply did not lease the luxury suites. The Orlando Magic's desire for a major renovation of the building dated to 1994, when the arena was only five years old, as the team was seeking to increase revenue by expanding the limited retail and concession space and luxury seating. In 1996, the team spent $ 100,000 to have Conventions Sports & Leisure of Minneapolis study and determine renovation ideas. Major renovation seemed unfeasible in 1997, when

5760-582: The years, including the 1990 WWF Royal Rumble , 1994 WCW Bash at the Beach , and WWE Armageddon 2003 . On March 29, 2008, the WWE held their Hall of Fame induction at the arena in conjunction with WrestleMania XXIV , which was held at the Florida Citrus Bowl . Many Orange and Seminole County public high schools held their graduation ceremonies at the arena. The final event at Amway Arena

5840-656: Was announced that the Miracle would immediately move to Uncasville, Connecticut and change its nickname to the Sun (in reference to the Mohegan Sun casino). The Sun's nickname, color scheme and logo are similar to that of another defunct Florida-based franchise, the Miami Sol , which folded at the same time as the Miracle's relocation to Connecticut. With a new home in Uncasville and two former UConn Huskies on

5920-437: Was covered live on national evening newscasts on all major networks. A similar rally was held in 2004 by Democratic Presidential Candidate John Kerry inside the Amway Arena. R.E.M performed here on 4/30/1989. Songs from this and the previous night's concert at Miami Arena were broadcast on Westwood One 's Superstars In Concert radio show. Many professional wrestling pay-per-view events have been held at Amway Arena over

6000-529: Was established as the Orlando Miracle in 1999 , during the league's expansion from ten to twelve teams, as a sister team to the NBA 's Orlando Magic . In 2003, as financial strains left the team on the brink of disbanding, the Mohegan Indian tribe purchased and relocated the team to Mohegan Sun , becoming the first Native American tribe to own a professional sports franchise. The team's name comes from its affiliation with Mohegan Sun and its logo

6080-462: Was injured after being hit by debris. Currently, plans call for the remainder of the Centroplex to also be demolished to make way for a "Creative Village" complex on the site. It will be home to digital media companies and related industries. There will be 35% office space, 45% residential space, and 20% for other uses including education, hotels, retail, and entertainment. The goal of the complex

6160-405: Was outdated since the day its doors first opened. Although it was built to NBA specifications at the time, construction began right before mid level luxury seating and lower-level club seating became the de facto standard, and the arena lacked both of these lucrative features. Also, the placement of the skyboxes gave them the worst sightlines in the arena, consequently Fortune 500 companies in

6240-466: Was taken third overall, in a trade once again involving the Lynx. This trade would have the Sun relinquishing their first and second round picks in next year's draft . After the 2010 WNBA season (after going 17-17 and missing the playoffs), news surfaced that the Connecticut Sun was the first franchise in WNBA history to turn a profit. The 2011 season started well for the Sun. Few changes were made in

6320-870: Was the So You Think You Can Dance Tour on September 30, 2010. Fred Neal Frederick "Curly" Neal (May 19, 1942 – March 26, 2020) was an American basketball player who played with the Harlem Globetrotters , instantly recognizable with his shaved bald head. Following in the footsteps of Marques Haynes , Neal became the Trotters' featured ballhandler, a key role in the team's exhibition act. Born in Greensboro, North Carolina , Neal attended James B. Dudley High School and Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina from 1959 to 1963. At Smith, he averaged 23.1 points

6400-411: Was the head coach of the 2004 Seattle Storm team that captured the league title over Connecticut. Donovan hired Catherine Proto and Jennifer Gillom as her assistant coaches for her initial season. In 2014, Proto became Scouting and Video Operations Manager for the Sun and Steven Key replaced her as an assistant coach. During Anne Donovan 's run as head coach, she would go 38–64 in three seasons with

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