SI

Owners of WNBA's Connecticut Sun Weighing Potential Sale, Relocation

The Mohegan Native American tribe currently owns the team.

Patrick Andres

A truck with a Connecticut Sun logo is seen at Massasoit Community College in Brockton, Mass.
A truck with a Connecticut Sun logo is seen at Massasoit Community College in Brockton, Mass. / Marc Vasconcellos/The Enterprise / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The WNBA's popularity and revenues have exploded in recent years—and the Connecticut Sun may unfortunately be a casualty.

The Mohegan Native American tribe that owns the Sun have retained investment bank Allen and Company to facilitate the potential sale of the franchise, according to a Monday afternoon report from Kurt Badenhausen and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico.

Per Badenhausen and Novy-Williams, "the expectation is a control sale and likely franchise relocation."

A hypothetical move would be an unsavory end for a unique franchise in the league's smallest market. Rescued from oblivion following the 2002 season after four years as the Orlando Miracle, Connecticut's ownership by a Native American tribe had no precedent in any professional sport. The team was also the first in the WNBA with owners outside of the NBA's structure.

The Sun have been intermittently successful, making four Finals trips—most recently in 2022. Sportico valued Connecticut at $80 million in 2024.

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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .

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