Group led by Steve Pagliuca buys the 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. The operation also includes the team’s relocation to Boston. The source revealed that the team would not play in Boston until the 2027 season. In addition, Pagliuca will 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 WNBA 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), each paying a record expansion fee 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
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 requested that Boston receive strong consideration for a WNBA franchise at the appropriate time.
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 bought the franchise for $10 million and moved it from Orlando, Florida, that year. The Connecticut franchise was the first in the league to be run by a non-NBA owner and became the first to turn 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 been achieved through 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’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, reaching the postseason in 16 seasons, including a streak of six consecutive semifinal appearances. However, the team suffered greatly this offseason, with the departure of the entire starting five from last season, either through free agency or trade. Connecticut is in last place in the WNBA with a 5-21 record. 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 need to be approved by the WNBA and would also be subject to confidentiality 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
