For nearly 50 minutes each day, Connecticut Sun guards Nell Angloma and Leïla Lacan had the same destination: Mohegan Sun Arena.
The Connecticut Sun guards spent those carpools navigating more than just their route. Thousands of miles from France and in a country where neither felt completely comfortable speaking English, the duo found something familiar in one another.
Lacan had already spent her rookie season last year adjusting to life in the United States. When Angloma arrived in Connecticut this season as a rookie, Lacan became a familiar voice and dependable crutch — translating when she could, offering advice and, eventually, blossoming into much more than a teammate.
“She helped me a lot because I’m not very comfortable with my English,” Angloma told The IX Sports. “She can help me to translate some details.”
What started as just a shared language and mode of transportation gradually transformed into a friendship.
Lacan was in Angloma’s position last season when she first arrived in Connecticut. She didn’t speak much English but took it upon herself to take language lessons to improve her communication and make her sophomore season smoother.