Around the Sun

No Mercy in the W: Diaby Waived as Sun Search for Answer

By Anthony Price 

Kariata Diaby goes up for a shot. Photo: Clay Johnson

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​Professional basketball can be a cruel business. One day, you’re celebrating your 30th birthday with teammates. Three days later, you’re cut.
 
That was the stark reality for center Kariata Diaby, who was waived by the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday in a brief, impersonal press release: “With the activation of Leila Lacan, the Sun has waived center Kariata Diaby.”

No fanfare. No farewell. Just business.
 
At 6-foot-4, Diaby is a force in the middle and has a strong game with her back to the basket. She was still adjusting to life in the U.S., and to a team struggling to stay afloat. She had started to warm to her new surroundings, her teammates rooting for her through a bumpy transition.
 
But with the Sun sinking under the weight of a ten-game losing streak and a 0-4 road trip, the front office is scrambling to find a solution. A promising rookie in, a seasoned pro out.

​A Fallen Franchise 
 
There is no joy in Uncasville. The Connecticut Sun, once a proud franchise that competed in the semifinals last year and in the championship in 2019 and 2022, now sit at 2-15. That era ended when last season’s starters left. 
 
The team drafted three rookies, which was an indication of where this season was heading. At the start of training camp, first-time GM Morgan Tuck tried to soften the blow by calling it a “reset,” but everyone listening knew it really meant rebuild. 
 
Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti, GM Morgan Tuck and first-time WNBA coach Rachid Meziane are responsible for this season’s freefall. So far, the pieces don’t fit. Talent is raw, experience is in short supply, and chemistry is thin. 

Kariata Diaby at her first game. Photo: Anthony Price

There is no joy in Uncasville.

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​Diaby Is Gone 
 
Kariata Diaby’s WNBA stint was brief, but her journey to the Connecticut Sun was anything but. She arrived for the first time in the U.S. just a week into the Sun’s training camp.  Her European team, Tango Bourges Basket, had completed its season, and Diaby joined the Sun with a unique advantage: she knew coach Meziane’s playing style, and spoke his language, French. 
 
Meziane coached Diaby from 2020-2024 with ESB Villeneuve-d'Ascq in France’s top league, Ligue Féminine de Basketball (LFB). Together, they won the championship in 2024, and finishing as runners-up in the EuroLeague Women. Sun forward Haley Peters was also part of that squad during the 2020-21 season.

Born and raised in Daola, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Diaby first made her name on the court in West Africa. She competed for the Ivorian national team at the 2013 FIBA Africa Championship and the 2017 Women’s Afrobasket. At 19, she left home for France, launching a professional career that spanned 11 seasons and multiple countries. 
 
Those were steady years—full of structure, purpose, and success. And now, barely weeks into her American debut, it’s over. Diaby is gone.

I translated it to her, and she just had tears in her eyes, and she was so happy.

Haley Peters guards the perimeter. Photo: Anthony Price

Goodbye 
 
On Wednesday, the Sun practiced at the Mohegan Tribe’s Community and Government Center. It seemed like business as usual, with the front office staff watching.   
 
After practice, I asked if anything can prepare a player for being released. The Sun’s Haley Peters said, “No. It’s a hard situation. I’ve been in that situation several times, so I know what it feels like. This league is as hard a league in the world to play in.” 
 
Peters is a veteran who has spent most of her time in Europe. She’s grateful to have another chance to play in the WNBA. She calls Diaby a warrior. “She has a very big physical presence. She just works pretty hard,” Peters said.  
 
One memory lingers for her. “The day that they announced the final roster, Rachid said it was the final roster, and she (Diaby) didn’t quite understand what he had said,” Peters recalled. “I translated it to her, and she just had tears in her eyes, and she was so happy.” 
 
Peters paused. “I think that is something I’ll remember forever, and hopefully she does too, and hopefully she will be able to get another chance.” She still hasn’t had the heart to say goodbye to Diaby. 

Lindsay Allen, an eight-year veteran, had seen many teammates come and go. But it never gets easier. 
 
‘Yeah, it’s really hard because we were with her for two months,” Allen said. “It’s always hard when a player gets waived that you’ve developed a relationship with.” 
 
But for Allen, the goodbyes also remind her of what makes the league special. “The sisterhood,” she said. “We welcome everybody in with open arms. We make sure they feel welcome. But when they leave, players get traded, contracts are up at the end of the season, it is kind of hard to keep those relationships fresh, especially when you play overseas too, like I do.”
 
Allen lights up, remembering one moment with Diaby. “When we celebrated her birthday in Minnesota, it was special. Just having that time to kind of see her get out of her shell a little bit. We had cake. It was a good time—just uplifted everybody’s spirits on that long road trip.” 

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It’s always hard when a player gets waived that you’ve developed a relationship with.

​She added softly, “I’m rooting for her wherever she goes next, and I know she will do well.”
 
For Rookie Rayah Marshall, the moment was sobering. Her smile faded as she talked about Diaby’s release.  
 
“I mean that’s how the W works! It can happen to anyone, not just her.  A no-minute player, a high-minute player… anyone,” Marshall said. She knows no one is safe, but still values the relationships and the moment. 
 
“Not being in the same state doesn’t mean the relationship can’t continue,” she said. 
 
One thing that Marshall has learned through this experience is that there are no days off—if she expects to stay in the league. 

Lindsay Allen plays defense. Photo: Clay Johnson

Who’s Next?  
 
In a season defined by uncertainty, there’s no telling when the next press release will arrive—another name, another farewell. 
 
For Kariata Diaby, the next chapter is unwritten. Her WNBA future may be uncertain, but her impact—quiet, hardworking, deeply human—remains with those she shared the court with. 
 
Haley Peters, offering words in French, delivered what any player in Diaby’s shoes needs to hear: « Gardez la tête haute et de bonnes choses viendront à vous. » (“Keep your head high. Good things are going to come your way!”).
 
Sunday, the Sun lost again, 86-68 to the Las Vegas Aces and last season’s MVP, A’ja Wilson, at Mohegan Sun Arena. The spiral continues with a 2-16 season record.
 
But as painful as it is, this is what a rebuild looks like. It’s not just about finding the right pieces—it’s about deciding who survives the churn, who grows through the struggle, and who refuses to let go of the dream.
 
Maybe now is a hard time to be with the Sun. But for those still standing, it’s also the time to prove why they should stay.

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​Anthony Price is an entrepreneur, author and publisher of CT Hoops Magazine. Around the Sun is a weekly column about the Connecticut Sun. ​​