When the Connecticut Sun take the court on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Sparks, they will be greeted by nearly 20,000 fans to see the first WNBA game held in Boston.

The sell-out crowd is projected to be the third-largest attendance for a WNBA game this season and will shatter the Sun’s current attendance record for a home game.

“We have fans that are so loyal to the Connecticut Sun,” Sun’s team president Jennifer Rizzotti said in an interview on Friday afternoon. “Fans that have grown up watching the Huskies and watching the Sun. They’re educated, they’re loyal and they’re passionate.

“We’re just so fortunate that over the last 20 years, we’ve been able to sustain not just a high level of success on the court, but this passionate fan base that has (remained) loyal to the team through ups and downs… at the same time, we want other fans to be able to experience the WNBA.”

Rizzotti’s roots run deep in the ‘Constitution State’. Raised in New Fairfield, CT, Rizzotti won the NCAA women’s championship on the 1995 undefeated UConn women’s basketball team and won the AP Women’s Player of the Year in 1996.

Rizzotti joined the Sun’s front office ahead of the 2021 season after coaching women’s college basketball for 22 years, 17 of which were spent at the University of Hartford. She recently returned from Paris after coaching the USA basketball 3×3 women’s team and winning the bronze medal.

“Boston and Greater New England is just ripe for supporting the WNBA and supporting women’s sports in general,” Rizzotti said.

Sun’s assistant general manager Morgan Tuck outlined how the initial discussions of hosting a game in Boston became more concrete at the start of the year, following the schedule’s release in mid-December 2023.

“We’re the only women’s professional basketball team in New England,” Tuck said after a team practice. “So (our hope is) to be viewed as New England’s team and not just Connecticut’s team.”

A four-time national champion with the Huskies (’13-’16), Tuck understands how strong the demand and appreciation for women’s basketball in the region is.

“We looked at some data and metrics to see where our fans were coming from and when they would come to our games,“ Tuck said. “We were all kind of surprised with how many (fans) come from the (Greater) Boston area.”

Rizzotti echoed that the Sun’s reach stretches well beyond the borders of Connecticut and Massachusetts.

“There are a lot of fans from Maine and New Hampshire and Vermont that come down and see the Sun or come down and see UConn (women’s basketball),” Rizzotti said. “Boston makes it a little easier to drive for them.

“We’re tapping into a sports city, a city that’s used to championships and sports culture, loyalty, and passion – and we’re asking them to come to see if they’re interested in the WNBA.”

Festivities begin outside of the arena on Canal Street with the Sun Block Party starting at 3 p.m. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Aliyah Boston knows the power of words, as indicated by her recent social media hiatus. But she is also aware of the significance of positive affirmation. Ahead of a 92-75 victory against the Seattle Storm today, Indiana Fever team besties Boston and Caitlin Clark hyped each other up with some uplifting words.

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In a video shared to social media, Clark tells Boston, “You’re going to be amazing, because you are amazing.”

Boston, who was voted WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2023, returns the sentiment to Clark. Though Boston now keeps her social media presence fairly sparse, she revealed via X that these types of conversations are part of her and Clark’s pregame routine.

And it appears the kind words manifested well for the two, as they each set new personal bests and broke records. During the game, Boston scored nine points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and made eight assists — the lattermost marking a career high for Boston. 

Additionally, Clark broke a rookie record, scoring 23 points in the game, bringing her first-year total up to 497. She also made her 225th assist in the second quarter of the game, and later brought her total up to 232, breaking an assist record previously held by Ticha Penicheiro of the defunct Sacramento Monarchs during her 1998-1999 WNBA rookie season. And the record-breaking assist was fantastic.

After the game, Boston took to TikTok to celebrate the Fever’s win with her signature “bow bow bow” chant and dance.

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Penichiero also offered congratulations to Clark, saying that breaking her record “shows growth and evolution.”

The Fever has 12 games remaining this season, so fans will certainly be keeping watchful eyes as the ladies are bound to break even more records. 

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FOXBORO — Patriots vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf seems to have fewer concerns with his roster than certain subsets of the fanbase and media.

Wolf was asked point-blank if he feels like the Patriots can support any quarterback with the current pieces they have in place.

“Yes,” Wolf said.

That includes rookie Drake Maye.

“We’re concerned about every position. We’re always looking to improve and get things good, so whoever the quarterback is – it’s not like if Jacoby’s [Brissett] the quarterback, we just want to throw him with the wolves. So, we’re excited about our offensive line group. We’re still working to find the correct combination in there, and I think we have the pieces in place to be able to compete.”

Maye hasn’t taken any competitive reps with the first-team offensive line through the first three-plus weeks of training camp, playing behind Brissett. Some of his preseason reps have come with starting linemen, however.

The rookie shined in Thursday’s preseason action against the Eagles when he went 6-of-11 with a rushing touchdown.

“It was good to see him get in the other night. It was really good to see how calm and collected he was. He got headbutted at one point by Nolan Smith and made a nice play on that one,” Wolf said referencing a roughing the passer penalty. “But he’s steadily improved. He’s put his head down and worked. He’s a great teammate, and we’re excited to see where his development can go.”

Wolf wouldn’t say when he believes Maye will be ready to start, however. Head coach Jerod Mayo said Friday that the quarterback competition between Maye and Brissett is still ongoing.

It hasn’t looked like much a legitimate battle in camp, however.

“We’ll have to see. Again, he didn’t get a lot of snaps … in the first game. He did pretty well in his snaps the other night,” Wolf said. “It’s all about building on those successes and seeing where it goes.”

One of the things Wolf highlighted from Maye’s performance Thursday was that the 2024 third overall pick just played “ball” rather than thinking about “coaching points” and “trying to do everything perfect.”

“Drake’s very conscientious,” Wolf said.

Brissett is the safer option to start at quarterback, but Maye would provide the team with more upside and a higher ceiling. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud started from Week 1 last season as a rookie and led his team to a 9-6 record in 15 starts.

Wolf was asked if Stroud’s success makes it difficult to be patient with a top prospect like Maye.

“I mean, if you go look at it, C.J. Stroud was the anomaly in that regard,” Wolf said. “Again, it’s not about one person or one player. It’s about where the offense is, where Jacoby is and where the team is. We’re just focused on that.”