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History of the Orlando Miracle

The Orlando Miracle were a Women's National Basketball Association franchise that played in Orlando, Florida, from 1999 through 2002. Although the team existed for only four seasons, the Miracle helped establish the franchise that later became the Connecticut Sun and featured several notable players, including Nykesha Sales, Shannon “Pee Wee” Johnson, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Andrea Congreaves and Elaine Powell.

Orlando never became one of the WNBA's dominant teams, but the Miracle produced a playoff appearance in 2000 and developed several players who would later become important parts of Connecticut's early success. After the 2002 season, the franchise was purchased by the Mohegan Tribe, relocated to Connecticut and renamed the Sun.

The WNBA Expands to Orlando

The Orlando Miracle entered the WNBA in 1999 as one of two expansion teams added that season, along with the Minnesota Lynx.

The league had begun play only two years earlier, in 1997, and was expanding rapidly during its first several seasons. Orlando was an attractive market because the city already supported the NBA's Orlando Magic and had an established professional basketball arena.

The Miracle were originally connected to the Magic organization and played their home games at the Orlando Arena, later known as the TD Waterhouse Centre.

The Miracle Name

The name Miracle complemented the NBA's Orlando Magic while giving the women's franchise its own identity.

The team's branding emphasized blue and silver and maintained a clear connection to Orlando's established basketball market.

The name lasted for the franchise's entire four-year existence in Florida.

Carolyn Peck Becomes Head Coach

One of the most significant figures in Miracle history was Carolyn Peck.

Peck became Orlando's head coach after building a national reputation at Purdue, where she led the Boilermakers to the 1999 NCAA women's basketball championship.

Her move to the WNBA brought immediate credibility to the young franchise.

Peck would coach the Miracle during the team's most successful seasons, including its only playoff appearance.

Nykesha Sales

The player most closely associated with the Orlando Miracle was Nykesha Sales.

Sales had starred at the University of Connecticut and entered the WNBA before the Miracle began play.

She became one of Orlando's primary scorers and one of the best two-way perimeter players in the league.

Sales combined scoring, rebounding, defense and athleticism and eventually became a multiple-time WNBA All-Star.

Her importance to the franchise extended well beyond Orlando. When the Miracle relocated, Sales moved with the organization and became one of the foundational stars of the Connecticut Sun.

Shannon “Pee Wee” Johnson

Another major player was Shannon Johnson, commonly known as “Pee Wee.”

Johnson joined the Miracle in 1999 and quickly became one of the league's best point guards.

She earned All-WNBA Second Team honors in 1999, 2000 and 2002 and was selected to multiple All-Star Games during her Orlando tenure.

Johnson's quickness, passing and aggressive style gave Orlando an experienced floor leader.

She consistently ranked among the league leaders in assists and became one of the strongest guards in Miracle history.

Taj McWilliams-Franklin

Taj McWilliams-Franklin became another important piece of Orlando's frontcourt.

She provided rebounding, interior scoring and defense and developed into one of the most respected forwards and centers in the WNBA.

McWilliams-Franklin later became an important contributor for several teams and eventually won championships elsewhere in the league.

Like Sales, she also remained with the franchise after its relocation to Connecticut.

The 1999 Inaugural Season

The Miracle began play during the 1999 season.

As with many expansion teams, Orlando needed time to develop chemistry and establish its roster.

The team was competitive enough to avoid becoming one of the league's weakest expansion franchises, but it did not qualify for the postseason.

The season nevertheless gave Orlando a core built around Sales, Johnson and several experienced players.

The 2000 Breakthrough

The Miracle enjoyed their most successful season in 2000.

Orlando finished the regular season 16-16, good for third place in the Eastern Conference.

The .500 record was enough to send the Miracle to the WNBA playoffs for the first—and ultimately only—time in franchise history.

Carolyn Peck's team featured balanced scoring and enough veteran leadership to compete with the stronger teams in the conference.

The Miracle's Only Playoff Series

Orlando faced the Cleveland Rockers in the 2000 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

The Miracle won the opening game 62-55 at home, moving within one victory of advancing.

Cleveland responded by winning Game 2, 63-54.

The deciding third game was played in Cleveland, where the Rockers defeated Orlando 72-43 to win the series two games to one.

That became the only postseason series in Orlando Miracle history.

2000 Playoff Results

Although the Miracle failed to advance, the 2000 season remained the high point of the franchise's four seasons in Florida.

Building Around Sales and Johnson

The Miracle continued to rely heavily on Sales and Johnson during the following seasons.

Sales became increasingly important as a scorer and defender, while Johnson remained the primary playmaker.

McWilliams-Franklin provided interior production, and the team attempted to develop enough depth to return to the postseason.

Orlando remained competitive but never again reached the playoffs.

The 2001 Season

The Miracle entered 2001 hoping to build on their first postseason appearance.

Instead, the team fell back in the standings.

The Eastern Conference had become increasingly competitive, and Orlando struggled to create enough consistency to separate itself from the middle of the league.

The Miracle missed the playoffs and entered the final season of their existence still searching for another breakthrough.

The 2002 Season

The 2002 season became the final year of the Orlando Miracle.

Johnson remained one of the team's leading guards, while Sales continued to establish herself as a franchise star.

Despite individual talent, Orlando again failed to qualify for the postseason.

Off the court, larger changes were occurring within the WNBA.

The league was shifting away from its original system in which NBA teams controlled many WNBA franchises. New ownership arrangements allowed outside groups to purchase teams.

That transition ultimately determined Orlando's future.

The Mohegan Tribe Purchases the Franchise

After the 2002 season, the Miracle were purchased by the Mohegan Tribe.

The new ownership group relocated the franchise from Orlando to Uncasville, Connecticut.

The team was renamed the Connecticut Sun and began play under its new identity in 2003.

The relocation was significant because it created one of the most unusual ownership arrangements in American professional sports: a major women's professional basketball franchise owned by a Native American tribal nation.

Players Who Continued to Connecticut

The move did not completely erase the Orlando roster.

Several important Miracle players continued with the franchise after relocation.

Most notably, Nykesha Sales became one of the first great Connecticut Sun players.

Taj McWilliams-Franklin also became an important member of the early Sun teams.

Their presence gave Connecticut continuity and helped the relocated franchise become competitive almost immediately.

From Orlando to a Finals Contender

The franchise improved dramatically after relocating.

The Connecticut Sun made the playoffs in their first season and reached the WNBA Finals in both 2004 and 2005.

The rapid rise demonstrated that the Miracle had already contained several important pieces before the move.

Sales and McWilliams-Franklin became major contributors, while Connecticut later added players such as Lindsay Whalen and Katie Douglas.

The franchise that had made only one playoff appearance in four Orlando seasons became one of the WNBA's strongest organizations soon after relocating.

Orlando Miracle Season Summary

The Miracle's lone postseason berth came in 2000, when Orlando lost a three-game series to Cleveland.

Notable Orlando Miracle Players

• Nykesha Sales
• Shannon Johnson
• Taj McWilliams-Franklin
• Andrea Congreaves
• Elaine Powell
• Adrienne Johnson
• Sheri Sam
• Carla McGhee

Home Arena

The Miracle played their home games at the Orlando Arena, which was later known as the TD Waterhouse Centre and Amway Arena.

The building also served as the home of the NBA's Orlando Magic.

The shared arena reflected the WNBA's original business model, in which many teams operated alongside existing NBA franchises.

Franchise Timeline

The Legacy of Nykesha Sales

Sales remains the player most closely linked to both sides of the franchise's relocation.

She established herself as a star in Orlando and then became a central figure in Connecticut.

Her ability to move with the franchise and remain productive gave the Sun an immediate connection to their Florida predecessor.

Without Sales, the early Connecticut teams would have looked dramatically different.

The Legacy of Shannon Johnson

Johnson was arguably the Miracle's most decorated player during the Orlando years.

Her multiple All-WNBA selections demonstrated that the Miracle possessed legitimate elite talent despite their limited team success.

She provided speed and creativity in the backcourt and helped lead Orlando to its only playoff appearance.

Why the Miracle Never Fully Took Hold

The Orlando Miracle entered the WNBA during a period of rapid league expansion.

Between 1997 and 2000, the WNBA grew quickly as teams were added across the United States.

Not every market proved equally sustainable.

Orlando had professional basketball infrastructure, but the Miracle competed for attention in a crowded sports and entertainment market and never developed the type of sustained success that might have strengthened their local following.

The franchise's relocation was ultimately tied to the WNBA's changing ownership structure as much as to the team's performance.

Professional Women's Basketball in Florida

The Miracle were one of two Florida WNBA franchises during this era.

The Miami Sol began play in 2000 and also lasted only a short time.

Both Florida franchises were gone after the 2002 season.

The disappearance of Orlando and Miami ended the WNBA's early attempt to establish a permanent presence in Florida.

Legacy of the Orlando Miracle

The Orlando Miracle existed for only four seasons and never won a playoff series, but the franchise remains an important part of WNBA history.

The team helped expand the league during its formative years and provided a professional stage for stars such as Nykesha Sales, Shannon Johnson and Taj McWilliams-Franklin.

The 2000 Miracle produced the franchise's defining season, finishing 16-16 and taking the Cleveland Rockers to a deciding third game in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

More importantly, the franchise did not disappear when it left Orlando.

Instead, the Miracle became the Connecticut Sun, one of the WNBA's longest-lasting and most consistently competitive franchises.

Players developed in Orlando helped Connecticut establish immediate credibility, and the relocated organization reached the WNBA Finals only two seasons after leaving Florida.

The Orlando Miracle therefore represent a short but significant bridge in WNBA history: an expansion franchise that struggled to establish a permanent home in Florida but helped lay the foundation for one of the league's most distinctive organizations.