UConn women's basketball alum Barbara Turner to make head coaching debut with Unrivaled

While the Connecticut Sun franchise has departed the state and found its spot in the WNBA team graveyard, its presence still lives on.

Not only in Houston, where the team has been rebranded as the Houston Comets, but also in Miami with Unrivaled.

Unrivaled, the 3x3 league co-founded by UConn women's basketball greats Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, announced its list of 2027 head coaches Wednesday morning, and two have ties to the Sun. Former Sun associate head coach Roneeka Hodges will resume her role as Phantom BC's coach, while former Husky and Sun player Barbara Turner will make her head coaching debut, leading Hive BC.

The league, which begins season three this January, also welcomes back coaches Nola Henry (Rose BC), Andrew Wade (Laces BC), Zach O'Brien (Mist BC), Teresa Weatherspoon (Vinyl BC), and Sed Everett (Player Pool) while introducing new head coaches Pokey Chatman (Lunar Owls BC) and Jarell Christian (Breeze BC).

"We're proud to welcome back so many talented coaches who have been with Unrivaled since our inaugural season and for the foundation they continue to help build," said Unrivaled President of Basketball Clare Duwelius in a release. "Adding new coaches with fresh perspectives further strengthens this group, whose breadth of experience will continue to elevate the best players in the world. ... We're excited for what's ahead in season three."

Hodges was named the 2026 Unrivaled Coach of the Year after leading Phantom to a league-best 11-3 record and championship appearance. Despite losing the championship to Mist, Hodges helped Phantom lead the league in assists (14.6 per game) and average the fewest amount of turnovers per game (7.1). The 2027 season is her second with Unrivaled.

Hodges has ties not only to the Sun but also to the Comets. The former Florida State star was drafted No. 15 overall in 2005 by Houston (before the franchise's fold in 2008) and played three seasons for the Comets. In 2024, she helped lead the New York Liberty to its first WNBA Championship before joining the Sun staff ahead of the 2025 season. Hodges spent two years as an associate head coach for Connecticut. The new Houston team has yet to announce its coaching staff for the 2027 WNBA season.

This is Turner's first-ever head coaching gig after being an assistant coach in the NBA, NBA G League, and WNBA. She just finished her second season as an assistant coach with the Washington Mystics. Turner led UConn to back-to-back national championships in 2003 and 2004. She was named the 2005 Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player and is No. 24 on UConn's all-time career scoring list with 1,629 points.

Hodges and Turner teamed up on the Comets for the 2007 season. Turner played her final WNBA season with the Sun in 2008 before finishing her playing career overseas.

Unrivaled's 2027 season starts on Jan. 8 with a doubleheader in Boston at TD Garden. The league has yet to announce its full schedule (including which teams will be playing in Boston) or its rosters for the upcoming season. Former UConn stars Stewart, Collier, Paige Bueckers, Aaliyah Edwards, Tiffany Hayes and Gabby Williams are signed to play in the league's upcoming season.