Connecticut Sun Reportedly Sold, Moving to Houston: Why The WNBA is Headed Back to Texas originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Reports on Friday say the Connecticut Sun are being sold to the Fertitta family, owners of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, in a move that would send the franchise to Houston for the 2027 WNBA season. ESPN reported the sale price at $300 million, which it described as a record purchase price for a WNBA team, while also noting the Sun are expected to play one final season in Uncasville in 2026. CT Insider reported Friday evening that the deal had not officially been signed yet, which is an important distinction as the process moves toward a formal announcement.
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For Connecticut, this would end a run that began in 2003, when the Mohegan Tribe bought the former Orlando Miracle and relocated the franchise to Uncasville. For Houston, it would restore a WNBA presence in one of the league’s most important legacy markets. The original Houston Comets won the first four championships in league history, making the city one of the most recognizable early homes of the WNBA.
The big takeaway here is that this has been building for a while. The Mohegan Tribe hired Allen & Company in May 2025 to explore a possible sale, and by July, Reuters reported the Sun would remain in Connecticut through at least the 2026 season. That same summer, multiple bids surfaced from groups interested in buying the team, while reporting also suggested the WNBA preferred Houston as a destination if the club were eventually relocated. By December, ESPN and Reuters reported that Houston Rockets ownership was in substantive talks to buy and move the franchise.
What we know right now
- The Sun are reportedly being sold to the Fertitta family for $300 million.
- The franchise is expected to stay in Connecticut for the 2026 season before moving to Houston in 2027.
- An official announcement is expected Monday, though CT Insider reported the deal was not officially signed as of Friday evening.
- Houston was left out of the WNBA’s June 2025 expansion round, but commissioner Cathy Engelbert publicly singled the city out as one the league still had its eye on.
- Any sale and relocation still goes through league governance, with past WNBA statements making clear that relocation decisions are made by the Board of Governors.
Timeline of how this move came together
- January 28, 2003: The Orlando Miracle officially became the Connecticut Sun after the Mohegan Tribe purchased and relocated the franchise.
- May 2025: The Mohegan Tribe hires Allen & Company to explore a potential sale.
- June 30, 2025: The WNBA awards expansion teams to Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia, but not Houston.
- Summer 2025: Competing bids emerge for the Sun, with relocation becoming central to the process.
- December 19, 2025: Reports say Rockets ownership is in substantive talks to buy and relocate the team.
- March 27, 2026: ESPN reports the Fertitta family has reached a deal to buy the Sun and move them to Houston in 2027.
The biggest unanswered question now is branding. Houston’s old WNBA identity carries enormous weight, but as of Friday night, there had been no official announcement confirming a new name. What does seem clear is that the Sun are on the verge of becoming the latest franchise reshaped by the WNBA’s rapid growth, rising valuations and push into larger, NBA-connected markets.