The future of the Connecticut Sun was a major question mark for the entirety of the 2025 WNBA season. The latest report suggests the Houston Rockets have entered the chat.
According to Alexa Philippou and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, the Rockets are in “substantive talks” with the Sun regarding the “potential purchase and relocation” of the team. Despite these talks progressing, no official decisions have been made, and the two sides have not signed an “exclusivity agreement” at this stage of negotiations, per ESPN’s report.
This news arrives around seven months after Sun president, Jennifer Rizzotti, confirmed the team was “exploring all options to strategically invest in the team.”
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In July, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert revealed that Houston was one of the cities the league “had [their] eye on.” “We’ll stay tuned on that,” Engelbert told the media. Now, Houston joins a list of cities reportedly interested in the Sun, along with Boston and Hartford.
To help you keep track of what we know so far, here’s a helpful breakdown:
The Sun were purchased by the Mohegan Tribe in 2003, relocating the team from Orlando to Uncasville, Conn., where the team still plays. Reactions from both players and long-time fans on the potential sale and relocation of the Sun have been mixed.
Throughout the season, fans inside Mohegan Sun Arena held signs reading, “Keep the Sun in CT,” and a flyer for the petition was spotted in the casino bathroom. As for the players, guard Saniya Rivers was enthusiastic about the idea of the team moving to Boston and vocalized her support to reporters leading up to the Sun’s matchup against the Indiana Fever in TD Garden.
As with the Boston agreement, which was never officially brought to a vote, the WNBA’s board of governors must vote to approve any relocation. Houston’s position as a top expansion target may change how the league office views a potential relocation, but it still leaves several hurdles to clear before anything becomes official.