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A report from the Boston Globe says that the Connecticut Sun is set to make a long-awaited move to Beantown under new management.
TD Garden could be getting plenty of Sun in the near future.
Per a report from Chad Finn of the Boston Globe, the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun has been purchased from the Mohegan Tribe by a group led by Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca at $325 million price tag, which would set a new record for the purchase of a women’s professional sports franchise.
Under such a sale, the Sun would move to Boston, where they’d play on the famed parquet of TD Garden, which also houses the National Hockey League’s Boston Bruins. Finn’s report states the goal would be to be in Beantown full-time by the 2027 season, with potential early-season games staged in Providence if conflicts with the Bruins and Celtics’ schedules arise. Pagliuca’s bid is also said to include construction on a $100 million practice facility in the city.
Here’s a statement from a WNBA spokesperson to @TheAthletic re: a potential sale of the Sun to Steve Pagliuca (and a potential move to Boston) https://t.co/O8D8Ts05DM pic.twitter.com/lqPhIqkjWi
— Ben Pickman (@benpickman) August 2, 2025
Pagliuca, 70, is the co-chairman of Boston-based investment firm Bain Capital and also serves as the majority owner of Italian soccer club Atalanta. He was a member of the Celtics’ previous ownership group, Boston Basketball Partners, and recently made a bid for a larger share of the franchise, though he lost out to Bill Chisholm.
Sale of the Connecticut Sun Awaits WNBA Board Approval
Following the news, a WNBA spokesperson provided a statement of the potential sale in a press releasing. Acknowledging Detroit, Philadelphia, and Cleveland were recently awarded expansion franchises, “nine additional cities also applied for WNBA teams and remain under active consideration.“
In the press release, the WNBA stated no group from Boston “applied for a team at the time,” meaning other cities will continue to be considered for expansion past 2030.
Any sale would require approval from the WNBA Board of Governors. Finn’s report states the league could also force the Mohegan Tribe to sell to a group that chooses to keep the team in Connecticut. On Sunday, Connecticut Sun Jennifer Rizzotti told Connecticut Sun’s Terrika Foster-Brasby the Sun is considered an acquisition team rather than expansion. While Rizzotti is unsure whether Boston was interested in the expansion bid—she double’s down on the fact the purchase and relocation needs approval by the league.
“If they are interested in acquisition, that would be them going directly to our investment firm and dealing directly with our ownership group,” Rizzotti told Foster-Brasby. “Process wise, if somebody in that area decided to purchase the team outright—they still need to go through a process with the league to get approval to relocate.”
The Sun is no stranger to Boston, having played a game at TD Garden in each of the past two seasons. Sellout crowds took in each of the two showings, the last being an 85-77 defeat to the Indiana Fever on July 15. While another Boston-based battle could be on the horizon next season, season-ticket holders have already been informed that 2026 home games will be staged at Mohegan Sun Arena.
The Sun Have Called Connecticut Home Since 2003
The Sun franchise began life as the Orlando Miracle, a sister organization of the NBA’s Orlando Magic, in 1999. The Miracle played four seasons at Orlando Arena (then-known as TD Waterhouse Center) before it was purchased and rebranded by the Mohegan Tribe.
I asked Connecticut Team President Jen Rizzotti on whether or not the relationship between the Sun & Boston played a role in how the proposal was presented vs an official expansion bid. Her reply ⬇️: #WNBATwitrer pic.twitter.com/ht3KROeY5n
— Terrika (@SheKnowsSports) August 3, 2025
Since then, the Sun, named after their home and the Tribe’s casino/resort Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, has hosted some of the most accomplished names in WNBA history, such as DeWanna Bonner, Tina Charles, Katie Douglas, Jonquel Jones, Nykesha Sales, and Alyssa Thomas. Though the Sun has yet to win a championship, it stands as one of three WNBA franchise to win at least 500 games alongside the Los Angeles Sparks and Minnesota Lynx.
More recently, however, the lack of a dedicated facility has blunted momentum in Uncasville, with the Sun sometimes forced to share the area’s practice courts with camps and events. Connecticut (5-22) is also currently engaged in a rebuild, though it did manage to earn a shocking upset win over the defending champion New York Liberty on Friday night.
Connecticut wrapped up a six-game homestand on Sunday afternoon against the New York Liberty and will kick off a four-game road trip on Tuesday in Phoenix.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
