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Houston Rockets ownership is in substantive talks with the Connecticut Sun over the potential purchase and relocation of the WNBA franchise, sources told ESPN this week. The discussions have been described as "positive," and Rockets ownership has improved its offer to a number the Sun might find acceptable, a source close to the situation said. The source said that while a formal offer has been discussed, the parties have not signed an exclusivity agreement and there has not been a decision on the future of the franchise. The WNBA previously indicated strong interest in a return to Houston. At the league's three-team expansion announcement in June, commissioner Cathy Engelbert specifically highlighted Houston and Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta as "up next" and "the one we have our eye on." The Sun have been owned by the Mohegan tribe since 2003, when they bought and relocated the franchise from Orlando, Florida, to Uncasville, Connecticut. A sale to Rockets ownership would mark the latest example of the WNBA moving toward having more teams with NBA owners.
Word has persisted that Houston continues to be the leading destination for relocation of the Connecticut Sun, according to league sources, if the franchise is indeed moved out of the Mohegan Sun casino to a new locale.
Magic Johnson: So, this young brother—we had him, he was in the Stanford MBA program—but we recruited him to join our company. He negotiated the WNBA Sparks deal that we had. And thank you for that, too—that we entrusted this deal in this young brother's hands. Now, we’ve owned the Sparks for a few years. We haven’t made a dime. All right? It’s been tough going for the WNBA… except now. Hold on—there was a time when we said, "Should we sell this?" And we kept saying, "No, let’s hold on to it." Now, a group out of Boston just bought the Connecticut Sun for $325 million. Oh, thank God we didn’t sell too early. Cuz now—we only paid $10 million for the franchise. So when you think about that return we’re going to have… it’s amazing.
The Connecticut Sun ownership intends to present multiple options to the WNBA as it looks to salvage what would have been a record-breaking $325 million franchise sale, sources with knowledge of the situation told ESPN. The Mohegan tribe, which has owned the franchise since buying and relocating the Orlando Miracle in 2003, is seeking clarity on the league's desired path forward for the organization, sources said, after an agreement to sell the team to a group led by former Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca was met with resistance from the league office. After news broke of the deal's existence -- and Pagliuca's eventual plan to relocate the franchise to Boston -- a league statement emphasized that "relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams," and that cities that have already gone through the expansion process have priority over Boston, which did not submit an expansion bid in any of the three recent expansion rounds over the past three years. Among the Mohegan tribe's likely proposals to the league, according to sources: • A full franchise sale to Pagliuca's group. • A sale to a group headlined by former Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry, who would move the team to Hartford, Connecticut. • Selling a minority stake in the organization. • Allowing the league to purchase the franchise for $325 million and relocate it from the WNBA's smallest market.
Gov. Ned Lamont is hoping to woo NBA Commissioner Adam Silver as Connecticut continues to make its case to keep its only major league team. The WNBA has still not yet approved a sale for the Connecticut Sun. The Mohegan Tribe repeated its statement that it’s pursuing investment opportunities and that it can’t comment on potential sales.
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The Mohegan Tribe’s ambition to sell and relocate the Connecticut Sun to Boston for a record $325M has created tension within the league office, sources said, leading to a terse WNBA statement Saturday that the nine cities who lost recent expansion bids “currently have priority over Boston” and inferring that the Tribe could be forced to sell to one of those cities instead. Those sources said that the Sun, over recent months, has shunned other cities that have inquired about buying the team -- refusing to take meetings with bidders outside of Boston, for instance -- and “hasn’t been great in how they have handled” the prospective sale. “They just don’t feel like the league has any control over their process,” the source said. “It will get much worse before it gets better.”
WNBA basketball could be in Boston permanently by 2027 as a Boston-based group led by Celtics minority governor Steve Pagliuca has reached a deal with the Mohegan Tribe to move the Connecticut Sun to TD Garden, according to multiple sources involved in the transaction.
The offer follows a surge in national attention for Cunningham after a hard foul against the Connecticut Sun in June, where she appeared to step in as an enforcer to protect rookie phenom Caitlin Clark. Cunningham was fined but gained notoriety and a wave of endorsement interest. Cunningham, 28, joined the Fever in February after spending five seasons with the Phoenix Mercury. Known for her outside shooting and gritty play, she’s averaged 7.3 points and 2.5 rebounds per game over her WNBA career.
Eight-time WNBA All-Star and three-time Olympian Tina Charles is signing a one-year deal with the Connecticut Sun as a free agent, sources told ESPN on Sunday. With the move, Charles returns to the franchise that initially drafted her No. 1 overall in 2010, where she spent the first four seasons of her career and won league MVP in 2012.
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The WNBA — coming off one of its most successful years ever in terms of attendance and attention — had 12 teams this season; seven of those teams currently do not have coaches. The Dallas Wings are about to hire their fourth coach in seven seasons. The Atlanta Dream made the playoffs; they let Tanisha Wright go anyway. The Indiana Fever, with Caitlin Clark coming off her record-setting rookie year, fired Christie Sides over the weekend after a 1-8 start was turned around into a playoff berth. And on Monday, the Connecticut Sun and coach Stephanie White parted ways after back-to-back trips to the WNBA semifinals.
Ball Don't Lie: Part owner Dwyane Wade pulled up to watch his Chicago Sky play the Connecticut Sun 👏 (via @WNBA) pic.twitter.com/b7S9ECcrcU
Part owner Dwyane Wade pulled up to watch his Chicago Sky play the Connecticut Sun 👏
— Ball Don’t Lie (@Balldontlie) June 13, 2024
(via @WNBA)pic.twitter.com/b7S9ECcrcU
Sorry, Big3 fans ... WNBA coach Stephanie West believes you will NOT see Caitlin Clark in the 3-on-3 league this year -- this despite the obvious temptation of Ice Cube's $5 MILLION offer. The Connecticut Sun head coach told Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" on Wednesday she feels the legacy Clark can build in the WNBA will ultimately trump the Big3's cash when it comes time to make a decision.
But, White -- who played five seasons in the WNBA before becoming Sun coach in 2023 -- said if she were in Clark's shoes ... the decision would be a relatively easy one -- albeit one her wallet wouldn't love. "I'm kind of a purist," she said. "I love the WNBA. I probably would've chosen the WNBA as well and then I would've kicked myself financially for the rest of my career."