Three players in WNBA history have tossed 14 assists without a single turnover in a game. The first was current Connecticut Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti in 2002 while the third was Veronica Burton on Tuesday. Sun rookie Leila Lacan, the third-youngest player in the WNBA (20.2 years old), owns the third of these legendary passing games.
Lacan fell to the 10th overall pick in 2024 but waited a season to come over from France to the WNBA. That classifies her as a rookie and, to this point, she’s performed as well as any first-year player outside of the top-three picks from 2025 (Paige Bueckers, Dominique Malonga, Sonia Citron).
In 17 games, Lacan is averaging an unremarkable 9.4 points (53.2 percent true shooting), 3.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds. Those numbers are solid for a first-year player, though they don’t suggest future All-Star. What Lacan has accomplished extends far beyond her box score, though; she’s playing like one of the league’s most exciting young players.
Why Counting Stats Don’t Do Lacan Justice
Plus-minus data views her as one of the WNBA’s most positively impactful players. According to Basketball Reference, the Sun improve by a staggering 19.2 points per 100 possessions with her on the court. That ranks fourth in the entire WNBA, only trailing A’Ja Wilson (plus-30.3), Jackie Young (plus-25.6), Gabby Williams (plus-23.6) and Skylar Diggins (plus-20.4).
Connecticut’s weak roster certainly influences that enormous on-off swing, as the team’s fourth-highest minutes-getter (Bria Hartley) — and Lacan’s starting backcourt partner — grades as one of the league’s most harmful players (minus-11.2 on-off swing). When Lacan plays without Hartley (234 minutes), the Sun post a plus-11.4 net rating. Lineups with Hartley on and Lacan off (562) post a minus-21.4 net rating.
Though lineup and opponent quality influence Lacan’s on-off numbers, the data signals a positive impact from Lacan. Her film corroborates that assumption, as she’s one of her team’s most dynamic offensive options. While her raw box score doesn’t look exceptional, a deeper look illuminates the impact of Lacan’s slashing, passing and defense.
A quick first step and seasoned pick-and-roll pacing let her live at the basket like few WNBA guards do. She’s attempted 25.4 percent of her shots in the restricted area, placing her third among guards behind Jordin Canada and Rebekah Gardner.
Unlike those two guards, who’ve made 52 percent or fewer of their shots in the restricted area, Lacan has converted a scorching 71.4 percent of her attempts. Among players who take at least a quarter of their field goals in the restricted area, only 10 players shoot a higher percentage than Lacan, despite most standing much taller.
Lacan’s self-creation, especially when compared to other forwards and bigs, renders her finishing all the more impressive. By my tracking, she’s self-created 31 of her 37 rim makes; the other six came from four offensive rebounds and two transition run-outs. All 19 of her half-court rim makes stemmed from her own creation.
i watched all 37 of leila lacan’s rim makes and found that she self-created 31 (!!) of those shots. the other six came via four offensive rebounds and two transition runouts
the sample is still relatively small, but her dribble creation volume and efficiency is wild pic.twitter.com/9ga5rbLqlN
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) August 21, 2025
Driving To Success
Her scoring rate (17.9 points per 100 possessions) ranks Lacan toward the bottom of the league’s top-100 volume scorers. She’s scoring on true shooting a point below league average, but her incessant paint pressure and excellent playmaking impart greater offensive value than raw scoring numbers.
Connecticut ranks last in the WNBA in assists per 100 possessions (22.4), though her passing lifts that number away from historic lows. Lacan, who ranks inside the top 15 for assists per 100 possessions (7.5) and assist rate (27 percent), improves the Sun’s shot quality through pushing the pace and pick-and-roll artistry.
Pressing toward the hoop in early offense cracks opposing defenses, offering easier scoring chances for a Sun team light on shot creation. After Lacan steals the backdoor pass (more on that later), she races up the court and scrambles the Washington Mystics’ defense, allowing Saniya Rivers to fill behind and drive into wide open space:
In the half-court, Lacan primarily generates offense through ball-screens and she’s incredibly effective here already. Among the 48 WNBA players with at least 100 pick-and-rolls logged (including passes), she ranks 29th in efficiency (0.89 points per possession), despite weak outside shooters surrounding her.
Her passing on the move sets her apart from many young initiators. She scans and reads the floor while working downhill on drives and pick-and-roll chances, weaponizing her scoring gravity and vision to locate cutters and shooters for high-value shots:
Connecticut’s poor outside shooting deflates Lacan’s impressive all-around scoring and playmaking. Three-point shooting could determine her ceiling offensively, as a threatening jumper stresses defenses in tandem with her potent driving. But through 17 games, Lacan has converted a frigid 19.1 percent of her triples on moderate volume (5.1 attempts per 100 possessions).
Her lackluster shooting doesn’t impact the Sun’s overall 3-point frequency while she’s on the floor. But defenses pay less attention to Lacan beyond the arc than other guards, often helping off of her, ducking under ball-screens and daring her to win from deep rather than with her bread-and-butter drives.
Lacan has attempted only 47 threes so far, nowhere close to a reliable sample of data. She made 38.3 percent of her triples a season ago overseas, though, and hovers around 84 percent from the line across her previous two seasons. Effective midrange shooting often predicts 3-point growth and Lacan is excellent there, making 51.6 percent (16-of-31) of her off-dribble 2-pointers so far.
A Thief In Waiting
Although her live-dribble creation and passing are easiest to spot, Lacan’s defensive impact arguably approaches or eclipses her offensive impact. The bulk of her plus-minus impact results from defense; the Sun improve defensively by over 15 points per 100 possessions with Lacan on the floor.
Connecticut, which ranks 12th out of 13 teams in defensive rating, forces turnovers at the league’s fourth-highest clip (15.8 percent). Lacan’s elite steal production fuels this; her stellar 4.6 percent steal rate ranks first in the WNBA. She boasts lightning quick hands capable of prying the ball loose and deflecting pass attempts, which then lead to transition chances offensively.
Lacan is the fulcrum of a promising young core in Connecticut, despite its poor play this season. Both of the Sun’s 2025 first-round picks, Saniya Rivers and Aneesah Morrow, have flashed intriguing two-way potential. Connecticut also traded for 2024 first-round pick Aaliyah Edwards earlier this month to round out an impressive group of long-term prospects.
In their current state, the Connecticut Sun’s clearest path back toward contention revolves around Lacan. Her dynamic paint pressure, efficient passing and disruptive defense could lead her to become a difference-making star while her shot comes along. Every young team needs foundational players who impact winning at the highest level and Lacan fits the mold. As the Sun move into their next era, she’s a central bright spot.
All stats accurate prior to games played on Aug. 21.
