If the price is right, it appears Houston is the WNBA’s preferred destination for the likely relocation of the Connecticut Sun.
In recent months, Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has reiterated his strong desire to bring a WNBA franchise to Houston, either by landing an expansion franchise or relocating an existing one.
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Now, it appears there could be traction. Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports (FOS) reports:
Houston is still the league’s preferred landing spot for the Sun, according to sources familiar with the sale. Houston’s expansion bid, led by Fertitta — who is currently serving as the Trump administration’s ambassador to Italy — was reportedly short of the $250 million expansion fee paid by Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia (all were recently awarded expansion franchises).
However, if Fertitta is willing to pay the sale price… plus a relocation fee to expedite the process of getting a team, the league would favor that deal, one source familiar with the sale told FOS.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has made the league’s preference known, saying that Houston is “up next” when it comes to the timeline for evaluating bids.
Steve Pagliuca, former co-owner of the Celtics, reportedly made a bid to bring the Sun to Boston. Marc Lasry, former co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, appears to be doing the same in an effort to bring the Sun to nearby Hartford, Connecticut.
However, it appears that if the money is comparable, the WNBA’s preference is Houston. Time will tell as to whether that ends up being the case.
From 1997 through 2008, Houston was home to the now-shuttered Comets. Led by iconic names such as Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, and Tina Thompson, the Comets won the WNBA’s first four titles in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000. But fan interest gradually waned as the team lost relevance in the years that followed, and that eventually led to the franchise being dissolved by the end of the 2000s.
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In recent years, however, interest in women’s basketball has picked up throughout the United States — with young stars such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese helping drive a new wave of fandom. That resurgent fan interest has led to improved economics for the sport and the league, and in turn, that has prompted increased interest in WNBA expansion and the creation of new franchises.
In addition to having an NBA arena to play and host fans in (Toyota Center) and a state-of-the-art practice complex, the Rockets also jointly own their own regional sports television channel in Space City Home Network, which would be a natural fit to broadcast WNBA games during the NBA offseason. Thus, perhaps in contrast to some other bids, Houston has ready-made infrastructure to immediately support a new team.
It is not yet clear when the Sun plan to relocate, assuming a deal is ultimately finalized (with Houston or another market). The timetable remains fluid, and Sun officials recently announced that the team would play at its existing arena in 2026. Thus, the soonest year for a potential new home would be 2027.
In May, owners of the Sun hired investment bank Allen & Company to explore the sale of the franchise. Mohegan Sun, a subsidiary of Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, has owned the club since its relocation from Orlando in 2003.
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The Sun play in the WNBA’s smallest media market, and they currently own the league’s worst record (5-26). Thus, speculation has swirled for some time that a move could prove necessary.
More: Report: New Rockets executive could help Houston’s WNBA expansion bid
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Report: WNBA prefers Houston for relocation of Connecticut Sun
