A WNBA expansion team in the 1999 season. In its three seasons, the Miracle has made the playoffs once, losing to the Cleveland Rockers in the first round in 2000. In 1999 and 2001, the team went 15-17 and 13-19, respectively, finishing one spot away from the playoffs each time.

The Miracle did an excellent job building their team before the 1999 season. Through various drafts and expansion allocations, the Miracle picked up rookie small forward Nykesha Sales, rookie center Taj McWilliams (now Taj McWilliams-Franklin), former Rockers shooting guard Adrienne Johnson and former ABL Columbus Quest point guard Shannon Johnson. All four players are still with the team, though Adrienne Johnson is coming off a torn Achilles' tendon. McWilliams-Franklin and Sales were All-Stars in each of their three seasons in the league.

The Miracle have a new coach for the 2002 season — former NBA player Dee Brown — after previous coach Carolyn Peck moved to the University of Florida. Brown served in the Miracle's front office in 2001, and he was a former player with the Orlando Magic, the Miracle's NBA sibling team. Both the Miracle and the Magic play at the TD Waterhouse Centre.

1/25/03 update: The Miracle lost a lot of money in 2002, and their owners (RDV Sports) have decided to cease operations. The team is now the property of the WNBA, who are reportedly trying to move the team to Hartford, Connecticut.

2/20/03 update: The Miracle were purchased by the Mohegan Sun, an Indian casino in Connecticut, and will move there for the 2003 season. Their new name is the Connecticut Sun.

Sources/More info:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/basketball/miracle/
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/basketball/miracle/orl-sptmiraclehistory.htmlstory
http://www.orlandosentinal.com/sports/basketball/miracle/orl-spt-miracleroster.htmlstory
http://www.wnba.com

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