It takes guts to sign a player who had only touched American soil once. It was during a childhood trip to New York City, a decade ago. Then came the Connecticut Sun, who used their No. 10 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft on 19-year-old Leïla Lacan. Indeed, a bold move, knowing she wouldn’t join the roster right away. Yet they chose patience and held onto her rights as she continued to develop overseas.
What gave them the incentive to wait? “We felt like she was the second-best guard in the draft,” Taylor said. “Just what she can do, her ability to play both positions, to score three levels, and just defend — she’s a two-way player. We were really excited to have the opportunity to draft her.” Now, as she’s 21 years old, she is officially joining the Sun just three days after France ended its EuroBasket tournament.
“It’s the best league in the world,” Lacan said after her first official practice with the Sun. “I’m just happy to have the chance to be part of it, and I can’t wait to play with my new teammates and see what we can do.” With big opportunities come big responsibilities, and bigger paychecks. Let’s dive into her contract with the Sun for the rest of the 2025 season.
What is Leila Lacan’s Salary?
Leila Lacan is an unprotected RFA for the Connecticut Sun. Her salary for the 2025 season totals $72,455, according to Sportrac.com. As a 21-year-old rookie, that’s not a bad figure to make in the WNBA, where the overall average base salary is $102,249.
Leila Lacan’s Contract Breakdown
Year
Age
Team
Status
Cash
2025
21
Connecticut Sun
Active / Unprotected
$72,455
2026
22
Connecticut Sun
Active / Unprotected
$73,905
2027
23
Connecticut Sun
Active / Unprotected
$81,297
2028
24
Connecticut Sun
Active / Club
$92,383
Total
–
–
–
$320,040
Leila Lacan’s College and Professional Career
Over the last four years, Lacan has been steadily building an impressive career in France’s premier women’s basketball league, the Ligue Féminine de Basketball (LFB). Her biggest moment came recently when she earned herself the Finals MVP honor with her team Basket Landes. But she didn’t stop there. In fact, right after celebrating the title, she shifted focus to preparing for EuroBasket with the French national team.
First WNBA bucket for 2024 No. 10 overall pick Leïla Lacan
Welcome to the W! pic.twitter.com/5w9woQMc6N
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 6, 2025
The truth is that Lacan hasn’t had a real break from basketball since the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she helped France win silver. After the Olympics, she jumped straight back into club basketball with Landes, having spent the two previous seasons with Angers. The 2024-25 season was her best yet. She had career-high averages of 14.4 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.3 steals. Those are the numbers that solidified her status as one of Europe’s rising stars. She kept that momentum going at EuroBasket, playing 18.7 minutes per game and proving herself on the international stage.
Now, at 21, Lacan is officially joining the Sun. And this time, she won’t be facing Sun head coach Rachid Meziane as an opponent. The two have crossed paths before: in the LFB and on the FIBA stage when Meziane coached Belgium’s national team. But now, for the first time, they’re on the same side. “It’s the best league in the world,” Lacan said after her first practice with the Sun. “I’m just happy to have the chance to be part of it, and I can’t wait to play with my new teammates and see what we can do.”
The adjustment here hasn’t been easy for her, but she’s pushing through. “It’s been all these new things. But the enthusiasm and the adrenaline are making me feel good,” Leila Lacan said with a smile. “So my body is okay, and I hope it can stay like this … The rhythm here is way more intense, like back and forth, and in Europe we’re more trying to calm down and put (set plays) on the court. So the rhythm and the physicality are the biggest (adjustments).”
Even so, this moment (her long-awaited WNBA debut) has her ready to take on anything.
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