The Connecticut Sun could soon be in Boston.
A group led by Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca has reached a deal to move the franchise to Beantown, per the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn, who reports that Pagliuca will pay a record $325 million for the team and then put $100 million into a new practice facility in Boston.
The Mohegan Tribe reportedly had been looking to sell the club — based in Uncasville, Conn. — and the offer, which is the highest price for a women’s professional franchise, sped up the process.
The sale must be approved by the WNBA and the league’s governors, which could be a potential hurdle.
The Sun have played a pair of games at TD Garden over the last two years and sold out both.
Per the Globe, the WNBA would prefer to use Boston as an expansion destination in 2033.
If so, it would join Portland, Toronto, Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia, which are all set to get teams over the next five years.
The Sun relocated from Orlando to Connecticut in 2003 and have made the Finals four times, most recently in 2022.
Mohegan Sun Arena, though, is the league’s fourth-smallest venue, and the Sun don’t have a dedicated practice facility.
The Sun sent a letter to season-ticket holders last week saying they would play the 2026 season at Mohegan Sun Arena.
If they move to Boston in 2027, the Sun could play early-season games in Providence to avoid conflicting with Celtics and Bruins playoff games, per the Globe.
“I’ve been pushing for years for Boston to get a WNBA team; I think it would be great for Boston,” Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey told The Globe. “And that would be great for the WNBA and we saw that for a second year in a row, a sellout crowd at TD Garden. I’ve been at this for a couple of years. I also think it would be great for the Connecticut Sun to move to Boston and represent all of New England.
“We are the hub of New England and the place that basketball was invented. I think it makes a lot of sense.”
