Following Wednesday’s unanimous approval of the sale of the Connecticut Sun by the WNBA and NBA Board of Governors, the Houston Comets held their introductory press conference Thursday, outlining plans for the franchise to begin play at Toyota Center in 2027.
Team and city officials announced the return during a press conference in Houston, marking the first formal step in bringing the league back to the nation’s fourth-largest market after a nearly two-decade absence.
Chiney Ogwumike, a “proud hooper and proud Houstonian,” led the event, with former Comet Tina Thompson and former coach Van Chancellor in attendance.
“We felt like the sports landscape in this town was incomplete,” Houston Rockets and Comets vice chairman Patrick Fertitta told reporters. “And today, that is filled.”
Transition from Connecticut underway
The franchise will be reestablished through the relocation of the Sun, with players, coaches and front office personnel expected to transition to Houston following the 2026 WNBA season.
“You think about the Sun and the Comets as one right now,” Fertitta said. “But there’s probably going to be a lot of change over the next year.”
Fertitta said the Sun will continue operating in Connecticut through the 2026 season, after which staff and operations will begin shifting to Houston.
“They are an operating team currently,” Fertitta said, adding that “when the season comes to a conclusion, they will actually start physically making that transition.”
He identified several members of the current Connecticut basketball operations group – including Jennifer Rizzotti and Morgan Tuck – as part of the existing leadership structure that could factor into Houston’s transition, adding that the organization expects continuity while evaluating future roles.
“I couldn’t be more excited, enthusiastic and confident in the people who are going to help run the organization here,” Fertitta said.
Fertitta said former ESPN NBA and WNBA writer Kevin Pelton has been working with the group during the transition and is expected to continue assisting the organization moving forward.
“Kevin has been a great addition and a great resource,” Fertitta said. “I would expect (him) to continue to help them and be a part of the Comets going forward.”
The team will operate independently from the Houston Rockets, though it will utilize some shared resources, which Fertitta noted would be “foolish” of them not to do.
The Comets will play and practice at Toyota Center, which is set to undergo a $180-miilion renovation beginning immediately. Rockets and Comets president of business operations Gretchen Sheirr said the project will include new locker rooms, training areas and expanded basketball infrastructure for the team.
“As soon as everyone leaves here today, walls are coming down,” Shierr said. “This is where they will practice. Toyota Center is their home.”
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Rebuilding the Houston Comets’ legacy
The organization is already working on branding elements, including logos and uniforms, which are expected to be unveiled later in 2026. Sheirr also said the organization expects to retain the Comets’ name as the league finalizes trademark control.
As for the roster, Fertitta said it will evolve over the next year as the organization evaluates personnel and builds toward its return season.
“We have about a year or so to get smarter, to learn more about the league, to learn more about the team and figure out how we can implement our competitive advantages,” he said.
The intentionality behind renaming the team the Comets and building a competitive roster is centered on maintaining the organization’s legacy.
The Comets won four consecutive WNBA championships from 1997 to 2000 and folded after the 2008 season. Team banners have remained in the arena since that time. For Fertitta, maintaining that history is a priority as part of the franchise’s return.
“There was never even a conversation not to have them up there,” Fertitta said. “There is such a special brand and identity that already exists,” Fertitta said.
Fertitta said the decision to bring the team back was tied to confidence in both the Houston market and the WNBA’s growth.
He noted that the group had explored the move for several years and wished they had acquired a franchise earlier, before rising league valuations.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire also spoke at the event, calling the return significant for the city’s sports landscape and youth participation.
“It’s a great day, not only for the Comets, but for the city of Houston,” Whitmire said.
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