Connecticut Sun president reacts to Boston relocation report

Sports

“Unless it comes out of official Connecticut Sun or Mohegan Sun channels, it’s not official.”

Just a day after a report from The Boston Globe said that Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca had agreed to a deal to purchase the Connecticut Sun with the intention of moving the WNBA franchise to Boston by 2027, Connecticut Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti offered some additional context about the team’s future. 

Speaking to reporters on Sunday ahead of the Sun’s game against the New York Liberty, Rizzotti said that the Mohegan Tribe — who currently own the Sun — have not officially sold the franchise to Pagliuca or any other group. 

“Contrary to some of the articles that were out yesterday, the team has not been sold …  Unless it comes out of official Connecticut Sun or Mohegan Sun channels, it’s not official,” Rizzotti told MassLive’s Kenneth Manoj. 

“Any sale or relocation is subject to board approval, so it’s like non-disclosure agreement comes into play, so we’re not allowed to actually talk about specific groups that we may have been talking to. But I can say that I have met personally with different investment groups over the last few months, and it’s been a thorough process and we’re not quite at the finish line yet.”

Discourse over the Sun’s future has been a popular topic in Boston over the last few years, especially with TD Garden showcasing sell-out crowds during WNBA games in both 2024 and 2025. 

“If it was up to me, we might relocate here,” Connecticut rookie guard Saniya Rivers told The Boston Globe’s Tara Sullivan before the Sun’s game against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on July 15. “[Boston is] a great city, has great food, great shops — I love to shop. So just being able to come to the neighboring city and just play here, I think it [does] a lot for women’s basketball in general, you know, get some noise around here [and] get people supporting women’s basketball.

“Hopefully, maybe they can advocate for us to, you know, maybe even relocate. I love Connecticut, it’s fine, but I think the marketing here itself is just going to be better for a women’s basketball program and I think we can make a lot of noise here starting tonight, so I’m just excited to be a part of it.”

Rizzotti acknowledged that Boston would be a viable market for a WNBA franchise at some point moving forward.

“I can’t speak to where the team’s going to go, but if Boston was an option, it’s hard to argue that they’re not a city that’s viable for a WNBA franchise,” Rizzotti said. “If you’re 22, coming out of college and you’re considering your brand and considering your opportunities in a major market, I don’t think it’s a slight on playing at Mohegan or in Connecticut.

“But I’m sure there’s a preference that they want to be in a market that’s bigger and they’d be able to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them. But again, it’s not the Connecticut Sun’s decision on relocation. That’s a board of governor’s vote, so the only thing that the Mohegan Tribe can do is sell the team.”

Even with the Globe’s report about the Sun’s potential move to Boston, the WNBA did note in an official statement that individual teams do not have a say in relocation decisions. 

“Relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams,” the WNBA told the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn about Saturday’s report. “As part of our most recent expansion process, in which three new franchises were awarded to Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia on June 30, 2025, nine additional cities also applied for WNBA teams and remain under active consideration.

“No groups from Boston applied for a team at that time and those other cities remain under consideration based on the extensive work they did as part of the expansion process and currently have priority over Boston.  Celtics’ prospective owner Bill Chisholm has also reached out to the league office and asked that Boston receive strong consideration for a WNBA franchise at the appropriate time.”

According to Washburn’s report, the purchase of the Sun is worth $325 million, while the Pagliuca-led consortium also plans to allocate another $100 million to build a practice facility in Boston. TD Garden would be the team’s primary home arena, while games could be played in Providence to avoid scheduling issues with the Bruins and Celtics.

On Sunday, Pagliuca confirmed his interest in buying the Sun , but said that no deal had been officially struck in a statement released on social media.

“This approval has not been obtained thus far, and we cannot proceed without it. We will respect, cooperate with, and abide by all league rules and decisions on these matters,” Pagliuca said. “As passionate basketball fans and strong believers in women’s professional sports, we remain excited by this opportunity and would be honored to serve as the next stewards of this franchise, if the transaction can be approved.”

Even if news of a sale or relocation have been made official, Rizzotti acknowledged that the future of the franchise in Connecticut has been murky for months as the Mohegan Tribe weighed a sale of the team.  

“I hope [as a fanbase] we can just stick together, regardless of what the outcome is through all of this, that [there’s] appreciation for what our owners are trying to do. They’re trying to do what’s right by our players, they’re trying to have an understanding and the foresight to know that the league is in a place where a 17,000-20,000 seat arena is probably a standard for the future.” Rizzotti said. “$100 million dollar practice facilities and a location ― I mean, you’re talking to me, being on the coast of Connecticut in the summertime seems pretty good. 

“But if you’re talking to a 22 year old, they want access to shows, opportunities and sporting events in ways that maybe Uncasville can’t prepare them for. But what I will say is those that have played here, the ones I’ve talked to over years and years, even when I was playing in the WNBA, they have always appreciated how they got treated here and that I want to always be part of the legacy of this ownership group, regardless of what happens.”

 

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.