The Connecticut Sun formally introduced Rachid Meziane as their new head coach Thursday, marking the beginning of a new era for one of the WNBA’s most consistent franchises. Meziane, who brings extensive international coaching experience, described the opportunity to lead a WNBA team as a lifelong dream.
“The WNBA has the best players and the best teams in the world,” Meziane said, as reported by Alexa Philippou of ESPN. “This is one opportunity I couldn’t pass up. … This is more than a dream to be part of this league.”
Meziane replaces Stephanie White, who left after two seasons to join the Indiana Fever. His appointment comes as the Sun face roster challenges, with only three players currently under contract and stars Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones entering free agency.
General manager Morgan Tuck emphasized that the franchise remains focused on winning its first WNBA championship despite the uncertainties.
“A championship, that’s my standard of success in general,” Tuck said, per Philippou. “It’s going to take some time for us to get used to everybody. … We still want to be very competitive. We have a really high standard, and I think we have to have high standards to be able to get there.”
Rachid Meziane brings a new style to Sun

Meziane plans to bring a European influence to Connecticut, focusing on read-and-react offense, up-tempo play, and ball movement. While emphasizing offense, he also committed to maintaining the strong defensive identity the Sun have developed in recent years.
“I want to build a foundation, build a culture, and create a style of play that’s attractive to players,” Meziane said.
The Sun’s leadership, including team president Jennifer Rizzotti, highlighted Meziane’s experience coaching international players like Emma Meesseman and Julie Vanloo. Rizzotti acknowledged that the franchise will need to invest further in infrastructure, such as a practice facility, to remain competitive and attract talent.
“We’ve had an ownership group that’s been investing in this team for decades,” Rizzotti said. “They understand that new investments are needed to keep this franchise at the top of the league.”
Meziane will now oversee the Sun's free agency negotiations, which begin next week.