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Orlando Miracle
Conference Eastern
Leagues WNBA
Founded 1999
History Orlando Miracle
1999–2002
Connecticut Sun
2003–present
Arena TD Waterhouse Centre
Location Orlando, Florida
Team colors Electric Blue, White, QuickSilver, Magic Black
                   
Uniforms
Kit body bluesides.png
Home jersey
Kit shorts bluesides.png
Team colours
Home
Kit body blacksides.png
Away jersey
Kit shorts blacksides.png
Team colours
Away

The Orlando Miracle were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Orlando, Florida. It began play in the 1999 WNBA season. The Miracle relocated, in 2003, to Uncasville, Connecticut, where the team became the Connecticut Sun. The Miracle was a sister team to the NBA's Orlando Magic.

Franchise history

The city of Orlando was granted an expansion franchise in 1998, and the Orlando Miracle took the floor for the 1999 WNBA season.

The Miracle posted respectable records in their four years of existence (1999–2002). The Miracle made the playoffs once, in 2000, and lost in the first round against the Cleveland Rockers. In 2001, the Miracle took a step backwards, but they hosted a very successful 2001 WNBA All-Star Game. In 2002, the Miracle posted a 16-16 (.500) record, tying for the final playoff spot with the Indiana Fever, but the Miracle lost the tie-breaker, so barely missed the playoffs. The 2002 season would prove to be the Miracle's last in Orlando.

Orlando Miracle alternate logo
Miracle alternative logo.

Relocation to Connecticut

After the 2002 WNBA season, the NBA sold off all of the WNBA franchises to the operators of the teams. Magic owner Rich DeVos was not interested in keeping the Miracle, and no local ownership group emerged. In January 2003, the Connecticut-based Mohegan Native American Tribe bought the team.

The new owners moved the team to Uncasville, Connecticut and changed the nickname to the Sun (in reference to the tribe's Mohegan Sun casino.) The Connecticut Sun's new nickname and logo were reminiscent of another Florida-based WNBA franchise, the Miami Sol, which folded at the same time as the Miracle.

Uniforms

  • 1999–2002: For home games, white with blue on the sides and shoulders and white Miracle logo text on the chest. For away games, blue with white on the sides and white Miracle logo text on the chest. The Miracle logo is on the shorts.

Season-by-season records

Season Team Conference Regular season Playoff Results
W L PCT
Orlando Miracle
1999 1999 East 4th 15 17 .469
2000 2000 East 3rd 16 16 .500 Lost Conference Semifinals (Cleveland, 1–2)
2001 2001 East 5th 13 19 .406
2002 2002 East 5th 16 16 .500
Regular season 60 68 .469 0 Conference Championships
Playoffs 1 2 .333 0 WNBA Championships

Players

Final roster

Orlando Miracle roster
Players Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Height Weight DOB From
F 50 United States Cunningham, Davalyn 6' 0" (1.83m) 187 lb (85kg) Rutgers
C 28 Brazil dos Santos, Cintia 6' 5" (1.96m) 187 lb (85kg) Brazil
G/F 32 United States Douglas, Katie 6' 0" (1.83m) 165 lb (75kg) Purdue
F/C 22 United States Hicks, Jessie 6' 4" (1.93m) 188 lb (85kg) Maryland
G 31 United States Johnson, Adrienne 5' 10" (1.78m) 154 lb (70kg) Ohio State
G 14 United States Johnson, Shannon 5' 7" (1.7m) 152 lb (69kg) South Carolina
C 00 Mozambique Machanguana, Clarisse 6' 5" (1.96m) 180 lb (82kg) Old Dominion
G/F 12 United States McCain, Tiffany 5' 10" (1.78m) 167 lb (76kg) Kentucky
F 10 United States McGhee, Carla 6' 1" (1.85m) 179 lb (81kg) Tennessee
F/C 11 United States McWilliams, Taj (C) 6' 2" (1.88m) 184 lb (83kg) St. Edward's College
F 3 United States Palmer-Daniel, Wendy 6' 2" (1.88m) 165 lb (75kg) Virginia
G/F 42 United States Sales, Nykesha (C) 6' 0" (1.83m) 175 lb (79kg) Connecticut
F 21 United States Wyckoff, Brooke 6' 1" (1.85m) 183 lb (83kg) Florida State
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • United States Vonn Read (Clark Atlanta)
  • United States Valerie Still (Kentucky)




Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (IN) Inactive
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Former players

  • Cintia dos Santos 2000–2002
  • Katie Douglas 2001–2002
  • Jessie Hicks 2000–2002
  • Adrienne Johnson 1999–2002
  • Shannon Johnson 1999–2002
  • Carla McGhee 1999–2002
  • Taj McWilliams-Franklin 1999–2002
  • Elaine Powell 1999–2002
  • Nykesha Sales 1999–2002
  • Brooke Wyckoff 2001–2002
  • Monica "Monee" Sheppard

Coaches

Head coaches

Orlando Miracle head coaches
Name Start End Seasons Regular season Playoffs
W L PCT G W L PCT G
Carolyn Peck July 6, 1998 April 3, 2002 4 44 52 .458 96 1 2 .333 3
Dee Brown April 5, 2002 End of 2002 1 16 16 .500 32 0 0 .000 0

General managers

  • Carolyn Peck (1999-2002)
  • Dee Brown (2002)

Assistant coaches

  • Rick Stukes (1999–2000)
  • Charlene Thomas-Swinson (1999–2001)
  • Michael Peck (2001)
  • Vonn Read (2002)
  • Valerie Still (2002)
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