The city of Orlando was granted an expansion franchise in 1998, and the Orlando Miracle took the floor for the
1999 WNBA season.
The Miracle posted respectable records in their four years of existence (1999–2002). The Miracle made the playoffs once, in 2000, and lost in the first round against the
Cleveland Rockers. In 2001, the Miracle took a step backwards, but they hosted the
2001 WNBA All-Star Game. In 2002, the Miracle posted a 16-16 record, but missed the playoffs after losing the tiebreaker for the final playoff spot to the
Indiana Fever.
The 2002 season would also prove to be the Miracle's last in Orlando.
Relocation to Connecticut
After the
2002 WNBA season, the NBA sold off all of the WNBA franchises to the operators of the teams. Magic owner
Rich DeVos was not interested in keeping the Miracle, and no local ownership group emerged. In January 2003, the Connecticut-based
Mohegan Native American Tribe bought the team.
The new owners moved the team to
Uncasville, Connecticut and changed the nickname to the Sun (in reference to the tribe's
Mohegan Sun casino.) The Connecticut Sun's new nickname and logo were reminiscent of another Florida-based WNBA franchise, the
Miami Sol, which folded at the same time as the Miracle.
Uniforms
1999–2002: For home games, white with blue on the sides and shoulders and white Miracle logo text on the chest. For away games, blue with white on the sides and white Miracle logo text on the chest. The Miracle logo is on the shorts.