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Aaliyah Edwards cried on the podium and answered questions through thick, sad sniffles during her postgame press conference.

Olivia Nelson-Ododa said she cried on and off all day leading up to the game. Then, during a timeout in the fourth quarter, when the lights turned off and Connecticut Sun fans “lit up the Sun” one last time and waved their cell phone flashlights in the air, it all hit her.

The former UConn women’s basketball stars have played their last game in the state of Connecticut.

“It just made me reflect on just how many years I've been in Connecticut, from 17 years old to 26 now, and it was just such a beautiful moment,” Nelson-Ododa said. “But the whole day was super emotional. I was crying all day.”

The Sun hosted its final game last Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The franchise will move to Houston in the coming months and will rebrand as the Houston Comets, the name used by one of the original WNBA franchises. While Nelson-Ododa didn’t play in the Sun’s win over Toronto due to a right knee injury, Edwards finished with 16 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal in 17 minutes.

Edwards has been a part of the Sun for the last year and a half, while Nelson-Ododa was the Sun’s longest-tenured player on its 2026 roster, joining the team in 2023. Her last game in front of the CT home crowd was back on Aug. 18 when she scored 18 points with 11 rebounds, two blocks, one assist and one steal in 39 minutes in the Sun’s win over Los Angeles.

While the two former Huskies are sad to leave the state that took their basketball careers to the next level, they're excited for a new chapter with the Sun — one that not only includes a new home in Texas, but better resources.

“I think what excites me about Houston is just the eagerness for women's basketball in a new city. I think that's the biggest thing,” said Edwards. “Also, just being a part of a rebirth of a franchise. I've never really been a part of something like that before, so that anticipation is exciting for me.

“I hope to be a big part of that impact, a big part of that growth, and just continuing to push accessibility and visibility of women's basketball here in the States. … I'm excited about the Texas rivalry (with the Dallas Wings) as well. I can't wait for that.”

Edwards was traded from Washington to CT right before the trade deadline last August. While the trade was hard for a young player (the 2026 season was her third in the league), she’s grateful that it led her back to Connecticut and back to the fans she’s known since her days playing for UConn.

In Storrs, Edwards was named a two-time All-Big East First Team honoree and a 2024 All-American. She finished her collegiate career ranked in the top 15 of UConn’s career rebounding (No. 8), double-double (No.6) and scoring (No. 15) lists.

“My time here in Connecticut has been so great,” she said. “It's filled with making a lot of relationships, making a lot of memories, as well as just playing a lot of basketball, whether I've been in college or at the pro level. So, my journey here -- it's been a lot of my basketball journey; a lot of my young adult journey has been spent here, and I'm just grateful for the opportunity, grateful for the state for pouring so much love into me, someone from Kingston, Ontario, Canada.”

The former Husky was drafted No. 6 overall by the Mystics in the 2024 WNBA Draft. In 2025, she played 15 games for the Sun, averaging 4.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 0.9 steals, 0.7 assists and 0.5 blocks in 17.0 minutes per game.

This year, Edwards was in and out of the lineup due to injuries. However, she still started 21 of her 30 games played and averaged 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.3 blocks in 20.6 minutes per game. The former Husky finished the 2026 season with a 51.8 field goal percentage and a 38.9 shooting clip from deep.

“I am so passionate and competitive about this game that I hate to be sidelined,” said Edwards, who will be playing for Unrivaled this offseason. “So, for someone to tell me to sit down is very hard for me, but I did watch and became more of a student of the game and was able to lead from a different lens, which really strengthened my leadership skills.”

Nelson-Ododa began her pro career in Los Angeles but was traded to the Sun ahead of the2023 season. The former Husky proved her growth this year by stepping up for the Sun’s often injury-depleted frontcourt.

The center averaged career highs in points (10.1 per game), rebounds (5.9 pg), assists (1.6 pg) and steals (0.8 pg). She also finished with a career-best 57.6 field goal percentage, a career-best 23 games started and a career-best five double-doubles.

At UConn, Nelson-Ododa was named the 2021 Big East Co-Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-Big East First Team honors as a senior in 2022. She’s No. 6 in UConn’s record book for career blocks.

“(Connecticut) has just been such a big part of my formative years as a young adult, an adult now, and it's so special,” said Nelson-Ododa, who will be playing overseas in Turkey. “I mean, it will always hold such a special place in my heart. Just seeing the support from the fans at UConn to the fans here at the Sun.”

Like Edwards, Nelson-Ododa is excited for the move to Houston.

“It's going to be something that's just completely brand new, fresh, like a fresh new chapter, I think for all of us,” she said. “But I'm definitely looking forward to just how much the fans are willing to embrace us and are just excited to see us get there.”

The Sun’s move to Houston comes with perks.

For starters, the new, larger market comes not only with more activity off the court, but also better travel to and from games (in Uncasville, teams had to drive about an hour to the closest airport).

Most importantly, the team will have a dedicated practice facility with expected state-of-the-art resources. Connecticut was the only team in the WNBA without a facility, as it often held practices at the Mohegan Tribe community center and even at New London Recreation Center.

“I'm so ready for a fresh start,” said Saniya Rivers, who said she plans on getting to Houston early to explore and acclimate to the city. “I know that change can be scary, but it's also so good for the soul. We're just gonna have to adapt. I've never been to Houston before, but I've heard a lot of good things about the food, about the atmosphere. I heard it's a music city, and I'm so into music. So, I'm super excited to experience something different there.”

The rebrand will revive the iconic WNBA franchise that won the league’s first four championships. In Houston, the new Comets will play at the Toyota Center, home of the NBA’s Houston Rockets.

For Houston and Texas natives, the move and the Comets' revival bring excitement and nostalgia.

“For the franchise to come back, I mean, it's about time, honestly, for Houston to have a team,” said Brittney Griner, who’s from Houston and wore a ‘Houston Essentials’ hoodie to her Sun exit interview. “Basketball is super rich in Texas, super rich in Houston. The legacy that the Comets have, everything that those players did for the game.

“I mean, the teams that we have now today, and the players that are here still playing, wouldn't have happened without those players and without the Houston Comets. So, for us to go back, to go there and revive that and add to that legacy, it’s big. I know the city's ready. Everybody's super ready.”

Team president Jen Rizzotti and general manager Morgan Tuck will relocate to Houston and retain their roles. As of Sept. 28, decisions about the basketball staff are not finalized.

Rizzotti played for the Comets from 1999 to 2000, helping the franchise win two of its four WNBA titles.

“We just felt like it was too good of an opportunity to continue what we were building in a place that would be a lot more attractive for free agents,” Rizzotti told CT Insider. “We worked so hard here sometimes to feel like we were just keeping our head above water, and we were excited about the opportunity to put that to work in a market where it might be a little bit easier, right?

“And where free agents and rookies would be a little more excited to play. So although we appreciate Connecticut and love being here, we're also aware that it'll probably be a little easier for us in a major market like Houston.”

Nelson-Ododa and Edwards are signed with the team through the 2027 season. Rivers, Leïla Lacan, Nell Angloma, Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker also remain on rookie contracts with the team.

Griner, who only signed a one-year contract with the Sun, and Kennedy Burke are free agents. Diamond Miller is a restricted free agent, while Raegan Beers and Ashlon Jackson are under reserved contracts. According to the new CBA, the team’s development players, Hailey Van Lith and Rayah Marshall, are not on contract for the 2027 season.

“Spending four years away from home (at Duke), then this one in Connecticut, but knowing that I was coming home, so many people were so excited,” said Jackson, who grew up less than two hours northwest of Houston. “I already have a ton of people that are on waitlists to get season tickets. Like it's insane, and I'm just so excited about it.”

Heading into the offseason, Tuck will look to add veteran leadership and another consistent scorer to the roster. Connecticut/Houston also tied with Toronto for the best odds in the upcoming Draft Lottery, where USC star JuJu Watkins is expected to go No. 1 overall in next April’s WNBA Draft.

https://www.ctinsider.com/sports/uconn-womens-basketball/article/ct-sun-relocation-houston-edwards-nelson-ododa-wnb-22452740.php