With a bid led by Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, Houston remains the WNBA\u2019s preferred landing spot for the relocation of the Connecticut Sun, per Front Office Sports.<\/p>\n
\nEXCLUSIVE: Two $325M offers to buy the Sun may cost even more with a relocation fee, which could sway the sale, sources tell FOS.<\/p>\n
Steve Pagliuca wants to move the team to Boston, while Marc Lasry would stay in Connecticut. Sources say Houston is the WNBA’s preferred destination.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Front Office Sports (@FOS) August 13, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
If the price is right, it appears Houston is the WNBA\u2019s preferred destination for the likely relocation<\/a> of the Connecticut Sun.<\/p>\n
In recent months, Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has reiterated\u00a0his strong desire<\/a>\u00a0to bring a WNBA franchise to Houston, either by landing an expansion franchise or relocating an existing one.<\/p>\n
Now, it appears there could be traction. Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports (FOS) reports<\/a>:<\/p>\n
\nHouston is still the league\u2019s preferred landing spot for the Sun, according to sources familiar with the sale. Houston\u2019s expansion bid, led by Fertitta \u2014 who is currently serving as the Trump administration\u2019s ambassador to Italy \u2014 was reportedly short of the $250 million expansion fee paid by Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia (all were recently awarded expansion franchises<\/a>).<\/p>\n
However, if Fertitta is willing to pay the sale price… plus a relocation fee to expedite the process of getting a team, the league would favor that deal, one source familiar with the sale told\u00a0FOS.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has made the league\u2019s preference known, saying that Houston is \u201cup next\u201d when it comes to the timeline for evaluating bids.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Steve Pagliuca, former co-owner of the Celtics, reportedly<\/a> made a bid to bring the Sun to Boston. Marc Lasry, former co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks<\/a>, appears to be doing the same in an effort to bring the Sun to nearby Hartford, Connecticut<\/a>.<\/p>\n
However, it appears that if the money is comparable, the WNBA\u2019s preference is Houston. Time will tell as to whether the sides are also in agreement, financially.<\/p>\n
From 1997 through 2008, Houston was home to the now-shuttered Comets. Led by iconic names such as Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, and Tina Thompson, the Comets won the WNBA\u2019s first four titles in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000. But fan interest gradually waned as the team lost relevance in the years that followed, and that eventually led to the franchise being dissolved by the end of the 2000s.<\/p>\n
In recent years, however, interest in women\u2019s basketball has picked up throughout the United States \u2014 with young stars such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese helping drive a new wave of fandom. That resurgent fan interest has led to improved economics for the sport and the league, and in turn, that has prompted increased interest in WNBA expansion and the creation of new franchises.<\/p>\n
In addition to having an NBA arena to play and host fans in (Toyota Center) and a\u00a0state-of-the-art practice complex<\/a>, the Rockets\u00a0also\u00a0jointly own<\/a>\u00a0their own regional sports television channel in Space City Home Network, which would be a natural fit to broadcast WNBA games during the NBA offseason. Thus, perhaps in contrast to some other bids, Houston has ready-made infrastructure to immediately support a new team.<\/p>\n
It is not yet clear when the Sun plan to relocate, assuming a deal is ultimately finalized (with Houston or another market). The timetable remains fluid, and Sun officials recently announced that the team would play at its existing arena in 2026<\/a>. Thus, the soonest year for a potential new home would be 2027.<\/p>\n
In May, owners of the\u00a0Sun\u00a0hired<\/a>\u00a0investment bank Allen & Company to explore the sale of the franchise. Mohegan Sun, a subsidiary of Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, has owned the club since its relocation from Orlando in 2003.<\/p>\n
The Sun play in the WNBA\u2019s smallest media market, and they currently own the league\u2019s worst record (5-26). Thus, speculation has swirled for some time<\/a> that a move could prove necessary.<\/p>\n