Can the Connecticut Sun become New England’s WNBA team?

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Can the Connecticut Sun ride the wave?

The Sun are one of the most successful WNBA teams. Since moving to Uncasville, Conn., in 2003, they’ve had the highest winning percentage among active teams (.570). They’ve made the playoffs 16 times in 22 seasons and have played in the WNBA finals four times — but have never won a title.

They seem primed to take advantage of this massive surge in the popularity of the WNBA, right?

Well, it‘s not that simple. Here’s what to know as Connecticut kicks off the 2025 campaign.

Last week, the Sun announced it sold out of season ticket memberships for the first time. They play at Mohegan Sun Arena, located on the grounds of the casino with the same name. They perennially draw well, and blew their average attendance out of the water in 2024 (as did many teams that benefited from the excitement over Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark’s rookie season). Connecticut has always had a dedicated fan base, in large part because of the success of women’s basketball in the state (hello, UConn Huskies, your 2025 national champions and the most successful program in NCAA women’s basketball history!).

Safe to say, the interest is there. But will fans have patience? Because …

This offseason, the Sun transformed — and not necessarily in a good way. First, head coach Stephanie White left and was hired within days to coach Clark and the Fever (White’s family is based in the Midwest, but she also played and coached for Indiana). Then the Sun lost its entire starting lineup — DeWanna Bonner signed with the Fever, DiJonai Carrington and Tyasha Harris were traded to Dallas, Alyssa Thomas was sent to the Phoenix Mercury, and Brionna Jones signed with the Atlanta Dream.

New head coach Rachid Meziane was left with Marina Mabrey, who promptly requested a trade (it was denied). The Sun signed UConn legend and WNBA vet Tina Charles, 36, and traded with the Dallas Wings for Jacy Sheldon. The trio will be complemented by rookies Saniya Rivers, whom the Sun drafted out of North Carolina State with the No. 8 pick, and Aneesah Morrow, an LSU standout who has yet to play because of injury, as Connecticut tries to keep its six-year streak of semifinal appearances alive.

But it will be tough. The Sun are 0-2 to begin the season. And it‘s particularly important in 2025 because …

Last week, news broke that the Sun’s owners had hired investment bank Allen & Co. to look into “all options to strategically invest in the team.”

Simply put: They’re exploring if they can get more investors or if it makes more financial sense to sell — which could mean that the Sun would relocate.

The Sun have one of the most unique ownership structures in professional sports. The franchise is owned by the Mohegan Tribe, which purchased the team more than two decades ago after it folded in Orlando. ESPN reports the tribe helped the Sun become the first WNBA franchise to turn a profit — they’ve been great stewards.

But it costs a lot more to be competitive than it used to. It‘s an arms race — teams are building out their facilities at a rapid clip to meet player needs. In March, the defending champion New York Liberty announced plans to build an $80 million practice facility in Brooklyn. The Sun, on the other hand, went viral last year when they had to share their practice court with a child’s birthday party.

As investment in the WNBA soars, can the tribe and the Sun keep up? If not, is it possible a move to Boston is in the future? The interest is certainly there, as the Globe’s Gary Washburn reported earlier this year.

We’ll get a glimpse of the Sun here in Boston this July when Connecticut will face Clark and the Fever at TD Garden. I’ll be there, and I bet you will want to be, too. But be ready to pay up: Tickets on the popular Loge level were starting at around $400 each on the resale market as of yesterday. It‘s one of the most expensive tickets in the league, according to Vivid Seats.

The Sun clearly want to be considered New England’s team, and these games at the Garden are part of the plan. Women’s sports is big business. Let‘s see what the Sun will do to meet the moment.

🧩 7 Across: Contradict | 💧 A cold rain

Boston and New England

Karen Read: Shards of plastic found at the crime scene matched the damaged taillight of Read’s SUV, a police analyst testified yesterday. And if you have questions about the case, Globe reporters will answer them here this morning.Making do: With White Stadium still under construction, Boston Legacy FC, the city’s new professional soccer team, will play at Gillette during its first season.Ties that bind: Globe reporter Julian E.J. Sorapuru, a Black Creole who grew up in a New Orleans Catholic family, shares a family tree with Pope Leo XIV.From the ashes: After a fire gutted a beloved oyster bar, Rhode Islanders — including the state’s senior US senator — have pledged to help rebuild.Guard dog: Two coyotes attacked a dog in Brookline this week. Here’s how to keep yours safe.

Trump administration

Judge snub: A federal judge said the administration “unquestionably” violated his order to not deport migrants to third countries without due process. (NPR)Landing the plane: The Pentagon formally accepted a luxury jet from Qatar to use as Air Force One, despite the Constitution’s prohibition on foreign gifts. When an NBC reporter asked about it, Trump said the network “ought to be investigated.”Fact check: Trump, meeting with South Africa’s president in the Oval Office, baselessly accused the country of committing genocide against white farmers. (The Hill)Price hike: Nike will soon raise the retail prices of some footwear and apparel to offset the costs of Trump’s tariffs. (CNBC)Unbanned: The US Naval Academy library restored most of the nearly 400 books it had removed over references to race and gender. But Air Force libraries pulled other books for review. (AP)Trump vs. Harvard: Decades ago, the president swore revenge on the Pritzker family. Now Penny Pritzker is helping lead the university’s resistance to him. Harvard’s president asked alumni to donate to help it withstand funding cuts.Dubious honor: No state has lost more in canceled National Science Foundation research grants than Massachusetts.Self-deporting: The Chavarría family came to Vermont legally last year from Nicaragua. Because of Trump’s immigration policies, they’ve decided to go back.Local impact: Vermont‘s $3.6 billion dairy industry relies on undocumented labor. After several high-profile deportations, some wonder how it will survive without them.

The Nation and the World

Another congressional death: Representative Gerry Connolly, a Boston-born Virginia Democrat, died of cancer at 75. He’s the third House Democrat to die in office since March. (NBC)Acquired: Jony Ive, who helped design Apple’s iPhone, will join OpenAI to help the company develop AI-powered computers. (TechCrunch)Ship of state: A new North Korean destroyer was damaged during its launching ceremony, an accident that Kim Jong-un called a “criminal act.” (Korea Herald)

By Teresa Hanafin

📚 Summer stories: JPMorgan Chase released its annual list of beach reads for the rich, including books on happiness, resilience, economics, and AI. (CNBC)

💰 Speaking of wealth: Mark Cuban says the $33 million he invested in businesses during his 15 years on “Shark Tank” is worth $250 million. (Quartz)

📺 Family drama: “The Better Sister” with Elizabeth Banks is a murder mystery with an “operatic” sweep. It starts on Prime Video May 29.

🛌 Vacationing in Spain? Be careful if you plan to book an Airbnb. The government ordered the short-term rental company to remove 65,935 listings it says violate rules designed to mitigate rising housing costs. (AP)

⛽️ From fuel to food: A rather sad former gas station in Jamaica Plain now bustles with people eating, drinking, and even buying art.

🎮 No tryouts: An actors union is angry that the maker of video game “Fortnite” didn’t negotiate before adding an AI-voiced Darth Vader. (Ars Technica)

🍡 Between the drops: If the rain lets up this holiday weekend, here’s a recipe for chicken marinated in yogurt and herbs and threaded onto skewers.

📖 Booker Prize: A collection of 12 short stories about the everyday struggles of women in southern India won the international award for fiction. (CNN)

Thanks for reading Starting Point.

This newsletter was edited and produced by Teresa Hanafin.

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Katie McInerney can be reached at katie.mcinerney@globe.com. Follow her @k8tmac.