The Connecticut Sun of the WNBA has been sold to the Fertitta family, owners of the NBA’s Houston Rockets. The Sun will relocate to Texas as part of the deal.
The sale was first reported by ESPN, which stated that the owners of the NBA’s Houston Rockets will pay $300 million for the team – a record amount for a WNBA franchise.
The Sun will play the 2026 season in Uncasville, Connecticut, before moving to Houston the following year. The relocation will mark the WNBA’s return to one of the league’s original markets.
Despite disbanding in 2008, the Houston Comets remain one of the most storied franchises in WNBA history, and along with the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm, hold a shared record for the most championships by a team, with four titles.
The Sun are expected to adopt the “Comets” name, according to ESPN, although the deal and the relocation are still subject to approval by the WNBA Board of Governors.
It was reported that Marc Lasry, a co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, had considered making a purchase offer, before the team’s owners agreed to a $325 million sale to a group led by former Boston Celtics minority owner Stephen Pagliuca – a deal that would have led to the team’s relocation to Boston.
However, that deal never materialized after the WNBA intervened, ruling that only its Board of Governors could approve a team’s relocation to another city, and that it would prioritize cities that had already submitted official bids for league expansion.
The WNBA has made no secret of its desire to return to Houston, with league Commissioner Cathy Engelbert stating in June of last year that the Texas city “would be next in line, without a doubt” when discussing expansion.
While the Houston team will not be a new franchise, the WNBA is currently embarking on a significant expansion period that began with the addition of the Golden State Valkyries last year.
The Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo are both expected to join the league this season, before Cleveland joins in 2028, followed by Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030 – a stage at which the WNBA will grow to comprise 18 teams.
