Group led by Steve Pagliuca acquires the Connecticut Sun
A group led by Steve Pagliuca, minority owner of the Celtics, has reached an agreement to acquire the Connecticut Sun for a record $325 million. According to reports, the franchise would move to Boston. The agreement stipulates that the team would not play in Boston until the 2027 season. In addition, Pagliuca would contribute $100 million for a new training facility in Boston for the team. The sale is subject to the approval of the league and its Board of Governors.The Sun have played regular season games at TD Garden in the last two years, including one against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in July. The league has announced five expansion teams that will begin playing in the next five seasons: Portland (2026), Toronto (2026), Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029), and Philadelphia (2030) will join the WNBA. Each paid a record expansion fee at the time of $250 million. Nine other cities submitted bids for expansion teams, including Houston, which the league highlighted as a candidate for a team in the future when it announced Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia in June. Boston was not mentioned.Relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams.
League Statement
The Sun are owned by the Mohegan tribe, which runs the casino where the team has played since 2003. The tribe bought the franchise for $10 million and moved it from Orlando that year. The Connecticut franchise was the first in the league to be run by an owner who did not belong to the NBA and also became the first to make a profit. The WNBA has experienced rapid growth in recent seasons and ownership groups have been investing more in their teams, including player experiences. This has translated into training facilities. The Sun are one of the few teams in the league that have not announced any plans for a new training facility. Connecticut trains at the casino pavilion or a local community center.No Boston group applied for a team at that time and those other cities are still being considered based on the exhaustive work they did as part of the expansion process and currently have priority over Boston. The Celtics’ potential ownership group has also contacted the league office and asked that Boston receive strong consideration for a WNBA franchise at the appropriate time.
WNBA Statement
Despite the lack of facilities, the Sun have been one of the league’s most successful teams, reaching the postseason in 16 seasons, including a streak of six consecutive semifinal appearances. However, the team was greatly affected this offseason, as all five starters from last season left via free agency or trade.
Connecticut is currently in last place in the WNBA with a 5-21 record. The team sent a letter to season ticket holders last week saying they would continue to play at the casino next year. The last team to be sold in the WNBA was in 2021, when real estate investor Larry Gottesdiener led a group that bought the Atlanta Dream for less than $10 million. A year earlier, Mark Davis paid approximately $2 million for the Las Vegas Aces.
