Fertitta family reportedly buys WNBA's Connecticut Sun in $300m deal

• The Connecticut Sun is up for sale once again, and ESPN reports that a deal may have been reached
• The deal may also have the WNBA’s blessing, after the association previously blocked a relocation of the Sun to the Celtics
• Texas could soon be the Sun’s new home, with Fertitta scooping up the franchise in a $300m deal, according to the sources

The Fertitta family, which owns the Houston Rockets, a National Basketball Association franchise, has reportedly expanded into the sport through the purchase of the Connecticut Sun, the WNBA’s franchise.

Fertitta family reportedly expands basketball franchise ownership with Connecticut Sun

The news was initially reported by Alexa Phillippou, an ESPN reporter, who said that the franchise will be changing ownership and also relocating to Houston, possibly in time for the 2027 season.

The Sun will also undergo a rebrand, as the Comets, a defunct franchise that won four titles back-to-back between 1997 and 2000, but was eventually disbanded in 2008. Details are still scant, with the original report suggesting that the new team may take up residence at the Toyota Center.

This purchase comes at a time of rising interest in the WNBA, and the league’s players have just received a major pay boost, which will see many of its top-talented athletes remunerated in seven figures.

The report is also substantiated by context, as the WNBA has already expressed interest in expanding back to Texas last June when Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said that the league had indeed been interested in Tilman Fertitta as a potential owner of a league team.

Previous attempt to buy the Sun was foiled by the WNBA

The Sun had been up for sale at least once before, when a $325m deal was reached by former Celtics minority owner Stephen Pagliuca. However, the deal fell through at the very end as the WNBA refused to allow the franchise to relocate to Boston.

The WNBA reasoned at the time that it was within its remit to allow or block teams from relocation. If accurate, the Sun sold for $25m less than the previous deal, but now benefits from a more strategically valuable location.

Image credit: Unsplash.com