No WNBA team has been able to cool off the Connecticut Sun so far this season.
Following a semifinal loss in last year's playoffs, the Sun have ripped off nine straight wins to open the 2024 campaign. Connecticut most recently took down the winless Washington Mystics at home on Tuesday to improve to a WNBA-best 9-0 on the young season.
The Sun's hot start has been fueled by four-time All-Star Alyssa Thomas, who's nearly averaging a triple-double, and five-time All-Star DeWanna Bonner, who's putting up close to 20 points per game.
The Sun have already recorded the best start to a season in franchise history. But where does their unbeaten run rank among the best in WNBA history?
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What's the WNBA record for wins to start a season?
Connecticut is now tied for the fourth-best start to a season in WNBA history at 9-0, according to Across the Timeline.
The Sun are four wins away from matching the best start in league history at 13-0, which was set by the Minnesota Lynx in 2016 -- a season that also saw the Los Angeles Sparks start 11-0.
The Sun are just the seventh team to ever start 9-0 or better. Here's a full look at the rare company they've joined, according to Across the Timeline:
1. Minnesota Lynx: 13-0, 2016
2. Los Angeles Sparks: 11-0, 2016
3. Minnesota Lynx: 10-0, 2012
T-4. Los Angeles Sparks: 9-0, 2001
T-4. Los Angeles Sparks: 9-0, 2003
T-4. Minnesota Lynx: 9-0, 2017
T-4. Connecticut Sun: 9-0, 2024
All six teams who previously won at least nine straight to open a season wound up reaching the WNBA Finals, with three emerging as champions.
What is the Connecticut Sun's upcoming schedule?
Connecticut next will welcome in the New York Liberty on Saturday afternoon for a rematch of last year's semifinal showdown.
What's the longest winning streak in WNBA history?
The Sparks reeled off 18 straight wins during their 2001 championship campaign, setting the WNBA single-season record for longest winning streak.
What's the best record in WNBA history?
The first 40-game WNBA season in 2023 saw a pair of teams reach the 30-win mark for the first time. The repeat champion Las Vegas Aces went 34-6, recording the most victories in a WNBA season, while the runner-up Liberty went 32-8.
The best single-season winning percentage of all time, meanwhile, belongs to the 1998 champion Houston Comets, who won 27 of 30 games for a .900 winning percentage.
