The sale of the Connecticut Sun has taken yet another dramatic turn.
Back in August, it was reported that Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca offered $325 million to purchase the Sun. His group’s proposal would involve relocating the franchise to Boston. There’s also chatter about former Milwaukee Bucks minority owner Marc Lasry wanting to purchase the team and relocate it to Hartford.
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On Thursday afternoon, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong sent a letter to the WNBA requesting documentation regarding the potential sale of the Sun. He’s worried the league might be blocking a sale that would keep the team in Connecticut.
“Our state is the epicenter and heart of women’s basketball and a dominant force in the sport. There would be no WNBA—and no worldwide growth in the popularity of women’s basketball—without the players, coaches, and dedicated fanbase in and from Connecticut,” Tong wrote in his letter.
“I am troubled by recent reports in the press that the WNBA may be wrongfully blocking a sale of the Connecticut Sun that would keep the Team in Connecticut in a manner that may be anticompetitive and may violate state and federal law. I am also concerned about press reports that, in lieu of a sale of the Team to a Connecticut-based buyer, the WNBA is demanding that the Team be sold to the League itself at a price tens of millions of dollars below market value, which could then be sold later to an owner approved to move the Team to a city that is part of the League’s plan of expansion.”
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UNCASVILLE, CT – SEPTEMBER 25: A general view of fans in the arena during Connecticut Sun starting lineup introductions before Game 2 of the first round of the WNBA Playoffs between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun on September 25, 2024, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
What’s the WNBA’s plan for the Sun?
According to reports, the WNBA doesn’t want to accept either proposal that has been offered to the Mohegan Tribal Nation because the Sun wouldn’t be relocated to a preferred city. Instead, an offer has been made to outright buy the franchise for $250 million.
“Sources also said the WNBA was not on board with Lasry’s plan to move the Sun to Hartford, Conn., which is just 45 miles away from the team’s current home in Uncasville,” a report from OutKick states. “Rather, the league wants to hold out for a market of its own choosing: more specifically, Houston.”
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Only time will tell if the WNBA strips Connecticut of its team.
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Sep 11, 2025, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
