BOSTON — At one point during the WNBA’s debut appearance at TD Garden, the sellout crowd of 19,156 roared so loudly one could see leftover confetti falling from the rafters. The confetti, which celebrated the Boston Celtics NBA championship victory on that same court a few months earlier, was now a small but powerful detail in the Connecticut Sun’s historic 69-61 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks.
As the announcers prepared to read the Sun’s starting lineup, guard Veronica Burton grinned at the video board, hearing her father’s familiar voice narrating the team’s hype video. Steve Burton is a longtime Boston sportscaster.
“I’m just soaking it all in. I’ve seen this arena, but I’ve always seen it in green but to see our own home court in here setup is surreal and I’m really just trying to soak it all in,” Burton told the Next.
The game ended the same way it started, with volume from the crowd as Sparks head coach Curt Miller was ejected after storming the court with less than two minutes remaining. The crowd booed him off the court as he fell to his former team.
Miller coached in Connecticut for six seasons, including two appearances in the WNBA finals. He emphasized in the pregame press conference that he still has so much love for the Sun program and the players that he coached while there.
“I could have stayed here [coaching the Connecticut Sun] and continued to win 25 to 30 games a year, but I needed a spark and they [the LA Sparks] needed a voice,” Miller said. “Those four years that we were so damn close and we didn’t get there that I think it was great for everyone, but that doesn’t mean a huge part of my heart’s not still here.”
And that passion showed in small gestures as he exchanged smiles with his former guard DiJonai Carrington when she entered the court for tip-off.
The Sun surrendered the first five points, but then Sun forward Brionna Jones grabbed a rebound off the glass from a missed shot and passed it to Carrington outside of the three-point line. Carrington drained a three-pointer and the crowd erupted into loud cheers.
It was clear that women’s basketball is truly loved, as fans dressed up and out for the game. This included super-fan Angel Earle, who is commonly seen at UConn women’s basketball games and Sun games wearing hand-crocheted outfits. She put a twist on it this time and wore green, honoring the Celtics, with the names of every player of the 2024 champion roster sewed into the yarn dress.
Earle was so into the game that she was able to start arena-wide cheers all on her own, including a roaring “let’s go Sun” that the crowd chanted after her lead.
A few Celtics players like Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday, as well as his retired U.S. soccer star wife Lauren Holiday, were on hand for the game as well to welcome the teams to their home court.
Some fans traveled hundreds of miles, while others reveled in the opportunity to watch professional women’s basketball in their hometown. Seemingly everywhere you turned, young children held posters reading “Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner, 2024,” or “beat LA,” and fans dressed in TOGETHXR’s “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports” merchandise.
A boost from the crowd
Though the Sun struggled at times offensively, the crowd never let up. And they were rewarded with plenty of highlight plays like Tyasha Harris‘ buzzer-beater right before the half that sent the crowd shooting out of their seats.
The game came down to the wire as the score was close in the fourth quarter. The Sun, however, pulled away as the crowd gave them momentum. And at the end of the game, fans didn’t want to leave as they watched players interact with media members on the court and soaked it all in.
“I think defense is one of our identities and I think we relaxed in the fourth quarter. They took a lead, but I think Bri [Brionna Jones] really started it all for us when she dove on the floor and sacrificed her body in that way. I think that not only jump-started us but it jump-started the crowd. There was no looking back after that,” Sun forward Alyssa Thomas told reporters.
A dream come true
The importance of the moment was not lost on the players either. Carrington in particular spoke about the opportunity to reach new fans and make their mark in the sports-centric city of Boston.
“Being able to expand into this area of New England and not just Connecticut is going to be super cool. Especially in a town like Boston. From the Bruins, the Red Sox, obviously the Celtics, Patriots, they all win championships. Hopefully we could continue to have more games here and that will rub off on us a little bit,” Carrington told The Next.
Carrington also admitted she was in awe of the fan support, which led to a franchise record in tickets sold and marked the third-highest attendance number in the league this year.
“It’s cool to be on the court and know that all these people came here to see us play in a city that’s not our hometown. Just to see how many people came out utterly to see us play on a Tuesday night. You know what I mean, like the odds couldn’t have been more against us to sell this place out. I think it’s amazing,” Carrington told The Next.
History made, but disregard still lingers
The night was a game to remember for the players, but there were also some feelings of disrespect after big television networks chose not to air it game on national television. Carrington in particular spoke to both the impact of the game and the ways in which the support fell short.
“I think that there could have been a lot more publicity or promo from the top,” Carrington told reporters. “Connecticut announced that we were having this game probably almost a year ago, maybe … so there was ample time to do what needed to be done. But it didn’t matter anyway, because they showed up, and it was sold out, and we got the dub.”
“The game should have been on a national television broadcast,” she continued. “You shouldn’t have to pay for any type of subscription to see a game that’s this historic, in my opinion … I’m biased, but in my opinion.”
As the Sun make their way back home to Connecticut, they will never forget the night they got to play the first WNBA game in history at TD Garden, even through its imperfections. They still have their eyes set on a championship, and can only dream of what will happen next for both their franchise and the city of Boston.
“It was great,” Thomas said. “The fans were going nuts. I think it’s just exciting to see where basketball has come. I’ve been in Connecticut for 11 years and we have a great fan base there, but at the same time, I mean, you see the opportunity of what possibly could be.”