Mohegan – It meant nothing, this basketball game on the first football Sunday. And yet the crowd at Mohegan Sun Arena made it feel as though it meant everything. Which is the complete point about the wonder of playing women’s basketball in Connecticut.

It’s mostly UConn-centric, sure. Ten national championships tends to sway the argument. But any doubters of the Connecticut Sun’s niche, or the passion of their fan base, should have been here to watch the Sun’s season finale, an 86-75 win over Chicago.

There were 8,049 fans in the house. Biggest crowd of the season for the most meaningless game. They could have come and golf-clapped their way through the day, too, picking up their free T-shirts and leaving early. But they stayed till the end, long enough to give Kelsey Bone a standing ovation for her 31 points, long enough to catch the sneakers Camille Little threw into the stands.

“I do that every year,” Little said of her decision to sign her game-worn shoes and toss them into the crowd, later fetching two more pairs. “What am I going to do with them? And I know they appreciate stuff like that.

“It was awesome for them to come and they were into the game, too,” Little said. “You appreciate it. We know it’s been a tough season and it’s a Sunday and they could have been doing anything. They chose to come here and we really appreciate it.”

It requires a deep faith in the product to believe — truly believe — things will get better here soon when the franchise hasn’t made the playoffs in three years. But it’s brighter here now than it’s been in a while, a busload of injured players expected back next season and a lottery pick. The Sun gave a glimpse Sunday of what they were at times this season and what they can be next year, defeating a talented team that did not rest its starters.

Put it this way: Elena Delle Donne scored 28 points in 27 minutes and drew loud cheers from the crowd when the officials had the audacity to call a few fouls against her late in the game.

“The WNBA is all about fans,” Bone said. “And I used to be a fan growing up in Houston, being able to watch the Comets become the first dynasty. I know what it feels like to be a fan in this league. I know what it feels like to want a headband, a towel, to appreciate the game. For me to look up and see those fans here knowing we’re not going to the playoffs and in a game that means absolutely nothing, means a lot.”

Indeed. This was not lip service from the players. They deeply appreciated the butts in the seats. And it illustrated one of Bone’s favorite words, the “dichotomy,” of playing WNBA basketball in Connecticut.

It’s hard to get free agents here, despite a fan base that cares more than any other. The arena size and faithfully-filled lower bowl make crowds look bigger, even if the Sun don’t lead the league in attendance. Bone talked after the game about how visiting players never leave the casino and have no idea what the region offers, such as short drives to Boston and New York and plenty of beaches.

“When I got traded, I thought, ‘what the hell am I going to do there?’ ” Bone said.

Now they love her here, especially when the Mohegan Maestro, sound engineer Mike O’Farrell, plays “Bad To The Bone.”

“The city is a little slow for me,” Little said, after having spent her first season here. “It’s a little hard to get used to. But this is my job and I’m going to be here. I love my teammates. I love being with them. Next year will be a good season.”

And it was Little who addressed the crowd after the game, echoing many of the same thoughts. Fans don’t always feel tethered to their teams. Sun fans should. They made a difference Sunday afternoon. The wonder of Connecticut.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro. Twitter: @BCgenius