Mohegan Tribe to Sell Sun, WNBA Franchise Headed to Boston, According to Reports

Saturday, August 02, 2025

The Biz of Sports

The Mohegan Tribe has reached a landmark agreement to sell the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun franchise in a record $325 million deal to a Boston-based investment group led by Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca. The sale—if approved by the WNBA and its Board of Governors—will see the team relocate to Boston by the 2027 season, with Pagliuca pledging an additional $100 million for a state-of-the-art practice facility in the city.

As GoLocal exclusively reported, Joe Pagliuca, son of outgoing Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca, toured the Providence Civic Center building in July.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE — SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

The Mohegan Tribe acquired the Sun in 2003, becoming the first Native American tribal nation to own a professional sports team—a pioneering move that led the franchise from Orlando to Uncasville. Over more than two decades in Connecticut, the Sun have emerged as one of the WNBA’s most stable and competitive teams, making the playoffs in 16 of their 21 seasons and reaching the WNBA Finals most recently in 2022.

If the deal is completed, the Tribe will realize a massive windfall. It purchased the team for $10 million.

Despite consistent success and a passionate fan base, the Sun have faced constraints at their current home: Mohegan Sun Arena, one of the smallest venues in the league and lacking a dedicated training facility. The franchise, currently enduring a difficult season at the bottom of the league standings, is scheduled to continue to play in Uncasville through at least the 2026 season, as confirmed in letters to season ticket holders.

If the move proceeds, Boston will gain its first WNBA franchise, hosting home games at TD Garden. The city has demonstrated strong demand for women’s basketball, selling out Sun games at TD Garden over the past two years. The sale’s approval would set a new valuation benchmark for women’s professional sports teams and add to the surge of WNBA expansion, with new franchises joining the league in Toronto, Portland, Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia in the next five years.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey celebrated the news, remarking, “I’ve been advocating for years for Boston to acquire a WNBA team; I believe it would be fantastic for the city… Relocating the Connecticut Sun would allow them to represent all of New England. We are the heart of New England, the birthplace of basketball, and this move makes a lot of sense.”

The relocation will require WNBA approval, and officials have indicated a preference to reserve Boston for future expansion, potentially as late as 2033.

Related Articles

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.