Steve Pagliuca and Group Acquire the Connecticut Sun for Record Sum
A group led by Steve Pagliuca, a minority owner of the Celtics, has reached an agreement to acquire the Connecticut Sun for a record $325 million. The news, which has generated great expectation in the world of women’s basketball, implies the team’s relocation to Boston. According to sources close to the matter, the team would not play in Boston until the 2027 season. Pagliuca would also contribute $100 million for the construction of a new training facility in Boston. The sale is subject to the approval of the league and its board of governors.In the last two years, the Sun have played regular season games at TD Garden, including a match against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in July. The WNBA has announced the addition of five expansion teams that will begin playing in the next five seasons: Portland (2026), Toronto (2026), Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029), and Philadelphia (2030). Each of them paid an expansion fee of 250 million dollars. Nine other cities submitted bids for expansion teams, including Houston, which the league highlighted as a candidate to receive a team in the future. Boston was not included in that list.Relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams.
WNBA Statement
The Sun are owned by the Mohegan Tribe, which operates the casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, where the team has played since 2003. The Tribe acquired the franchise for $10 million and moved it from Orlando, Florida, that same year. The Connecticut team was the first in the league to be managed by a non-NBA owner and became the first to make a profit.No Boston group applied for a team at that time and those other cities are still being considered based on the extensive work they did as part of the expansion process and currently have priority over Boston.
WNBA Statement
The WNBA has experienced rapid growth in recent seasons, and ownership groups have been investing more in their teams, including improvements to training facilities. The Sun are one of the few teams in the league that haven’t announced plans for a new training facility. Connecticut trains at the casino’s stadium or at a local community center. Despite the lack of facilities, the Sun have been one of the most successful teams in the WNBA, qualifying for the postseason in 16 seasons, including six consecutive semifinal appearances. However, the team suffered significant losses in the offseason, with the departure of the entire starting five. Connecticut is in last place in the WNBA with a 5-21 record. The team sent a letter to subscribers last week informing them that they would continue to play at the casino next year. The last sale of a team 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.Any sale agreement with relocation of the team to a different market must be approved by the WNBA and will also be subject to non-disclosure terms. Therefore, we cannot comment on any details of who, if anyone, has submitted offers or is seeking investment in the Connecticut Sun at this time.
Mohegan Leadership
