Group led by Steve Pagliuca acquires the Connecticut Sun for a record sum
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 sources, the operation also includes the team’s move to Boston. The agreement, which still needs to be approved by the league and its board of governors, 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.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 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 these teams paid an expansion fee of 250 million dollars, at the time, the highest. Other nine cities submitted bids for expansion teams, including Houston, which the league highlighted as a candidate for a team in the future when announcing Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia in June. Boston was not included in that announcement.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 manages the casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, where the team has played since 2003. The tribe bought the franchise for $10 million and moved it from Orlando, Florida, that same year. The Connecticut franchise was the first in the league to be managed by an owner who did not belong to the NBA 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. 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
The WNBA has experienced rapid growth in recent seasons, and ownership groups have been investing more in their teams, including improvements to player facilities. The Sun are one of the few teams in the league that have not announced plans for a new training facility. Connecticut trains at the casino stadium or a local community center. Despite the lack of facilities, the Sun have been one of the most successful teams in the WNBA, reaching the postseason in 16 seasons, including six consecutive semifinal appearances. However, the team was affected this offseason, with the departure of the entire starting five from last season, either through free agency or trade. Connecticut occupies the last place in the WNBA with a record of 5-21. The team sent a letter to season ticket holders last week saying it 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.Any sale agreement with the relocation of the team to a different market would have to be approved by the WNBA and would also be subject to non-disclosure terms. Therefore, we cannot comment on any specification of who, if anyone, has submitted offers or is seeking investment in the Connecticut Sun at this time.
Statement from Mohegan leaders
