The Connecticut Sun’s reported move to Boston has hit a snag.
News broke Aug. 2 an investment group led by Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca reached a deal with the Mohegan Tribe to purchase the Sun for a record $325 million, with plans to relocate the franchise to Boston as soon as 2027. But USA TODAY Sports confirmed Tuesday that Pagliuca’s bid wasn’t presented to the WNBA Board of Governors, who ultimately approves the sale. Front Office Sports first to reported the news.
The WNBA does not distinguish between teams relocating and expansion, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The league’s Board of Governors, not existing team owners, select the cities the WNBA will operate in. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they aren’t authorized to speak publicly.
In a statement, the WNBA said “no groups from Boston applied for a team” during the expansion bidding process that took place in Jan. 2025. Teams that weren’t awarded a franchise “have priority over Boston.”
In addition to paying $325 million to purchase the Sun, Pagliuca and his group pledged to contribute $100 million for a new practice facility in Boston with plans to have the team play home games at TD Garden, home of the NBA’s Celtics and the NHL’s Boston Bruins, according to the Boston Globe. But Pagliuca released a statement that said “approval has not been obtained thus far, and we cannot proceed without it.”
“Central to our proposal is enabling the Sun to play in larger capacity arenas in New England,” Pagliuca wrote in his statement shared to social media on Sunday. “We believe our record-setting offer and deep commitment to growing the WNBA in the region that is home to the most passionate basketball fans in the nation will significantly benefit the league, the team, and all its fans.”
The Sun have sold out two a regular-season game at TD Garden in consecutive seasons, most recently when the Sun hosted Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on July 15, highlighting an active fan base in the area. TD Garden has a capacity of 19,000 for basketball games, compared to 10,000 at the Sun’s current home at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Pagliuca’s group isn’t the only party interested in purchasing the Sun. An investment group led by former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry reportedly made a bid for the team with plans to keep the Sun in Connecticut with home games to be played at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, the Hartford Courtant reported.
Similarly to Boston, the Hartford group didn’t apply for an expansion franchise in the recently completed bidding process and doesn’t have priority, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports.
The WNBA awarded Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029) and Philadelphia (2030) expansion teams, bringing the league to 18 teams by 2030, following the additions of the Golden State Valkyries (2025), Toronto Tempo (2026) and Portland Fire (2026).
“Each location was selected based on an analysis of market viability, committed long-term ownership groups, potential for significant local fan, corporate, media, and city and state support, arena and practice facilities, and community commitment to advancing the sport, among other factors,” the WNBA said in June.
St Louis, Kansas City, Austin, Jacksonville, Nashville, Houston, Miami, Denver, Charlotte and Milwaukee also submitted bids for an expansion team, according to the Sports Business Journal, and would have priority. The league remains in “active conversations” with cities that applied for a franchise, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert hinted Houston could be the next city to have a WNBA team. Following the league’s expansion announcement in June, Engelbert said the WNBA has “our eye on” Houston because it has “such a strong history in this league,” referencing the Houston Comets franchise (1997–2008).
“We’ll stay tuned on that,” Engelbert added.
The Mohegan Tribe purchased the Orlando Miracle for $10 million in 2003 and relocated the team to Connecticut.
The Sun have never won an WNBA championship, but have made four Finals appearances (2004, 2005, 2019, 2022) in franchise history. Connecticut has made the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons, representing the longest active postseason appearance streak in the league, but the Sun will likely miss the playoffs after starting the season 5-22.
Contributing: Scooby Axon
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA says expansion applicants get first dibs on Sun over Boston
