The Houston Comets are back.
The Fertitta family, led by Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, reached a deal to purchase the Connecticut Sun for $300 million on Friday, according to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. As a result, the franchise will relocate to Houston in time for the 2027 campaign after one last run in Connecticut this summer.
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This paves the way for the franchise to be rebranded as the Comets, which was one of the original WNBA franchises when the league was first founded. The Comets won four straight WNBA titles from 1997-2000 behind stars like Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper and Tina Thompson, but the team was disbanded after the 2008 campaign.
While specifics are not yet known, the team will presumably play at the Toyota Center and share the arena with the Rockets.
The Sun relocated to Connecticut in 2003 after originally starting as the Orlando Miracle from 1999-2002. They’ve reached four WNBA Finals, but have never won a title. They went just 11-33 last season.
Fertitta tried to bring a WNBA expansion team to Houston, but the league has opted elsewhere repeatedly in recent years. The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire will enter the league this season, and new teams in Philadelphia, Detroit and Cleveland will join in the near future.
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Last fall, however, a group led by Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca tried to buy the Sun from the Mohegan Tribe for $325 million. That would have been the highest price ever paid for a professional women’s team. Paglicua would have spent $100 million on a new practice facility and moved the franchise to Boston.
The WNBA stepped in and stopped that deal, however, and wanted to give priority to cities that have already taken part in the expansion process. Boston had not done that. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said last summer that “Houston would be up next for sure,” too.
Assuming the WNBA keeps expanding, Boston will presumably get a franchise eventually. But for now, Paglicua and the region will have to wait.
This post will be updated with more information shortly.
