The Connecticut Sun announced Tuesday that former UConn women’s basketball standout Morgan Tuck has been promoted to general manager after two years serving as assistant general manager under former GM Darius Taylor.
Tuck has been a part of the Sun since May 2021 when she was hired as the director of franchise development, and she was promoted to the additional position of assistant GM in Nov. 2022. After helping UConn to four consecutive NCAA championships during her college career, Tuck was drafted No. 3 overall in the 2016 WNBA Draft by the Sun and played for the franchise until 2019. She was traded to the Seattle Storm in 2020 and helped the franchise to a WNBA championship before retiring at the end of the season.
“I am honored and excited to take on this new role with the Sun,” Tuck said in a statement. “Being able to be a part of this organization in various roles has prepared me for this moment, and I’m extremely appreciative for the guidance and support that I have received from our staff and ownership group. This is an exciting time for the Sun, and I’m eager to work alongside our coaching staff, players, and front office to continue the pursuit of our first championship. I look forward to this new chapter and the challenges ahead, as we aim to maintain a winning culture and create lasting memories for our fans.”
Taylor, who was hired as general manager in 2022 alongside former head coach Stephanie White, will remain a part of the front office with Tuck’s promotion. He is taking on a new role as chief basketball strategist and director of scouting, where he will be responsible for providing strategic recommendations around upcoming expansion draft(s), free agency, roster management and talent scouting.
“I want to acknowledge the tremendous work that Darius Taylor has done as our general manager over the past two years,” Sun president Jen Rizzotti said in a statement. “Darius is highly respected in our industry, and you won’t find many with his extensive experience in women’s basketball. This move will allow Darius to continue leveraging that expertise and work alongside Morgan to shape the long-term direction of our roster and overall basketball operations.”
One of Tuck’s first tasks will likely be hiring a new head coach to replace White, who parted ways with the Sun to accept the head coaching position with the Indiana Fever in early November. Six teams made coaching changes after the 2024 season, and Connecticut is one of three that has not yet made a hire alongside the Washington Mystics and Dallas Wings. Assistant coach Austin Kelly is also joining White’s staff in Indiana.
The Sun’s roster is in a tumultuous position entering 2025, beginning with the first expansion draft since 2008 for the Golden State Valkyries. Every team submitted a list of six protected players ahead of Friday’s 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 2024 first-round draft pick Laila 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.
