A gaggle led by Celtics minority proprietor Steve Pagliuca has reached a deal to purchase the Connecticut Sun for a file $325 million and transfer the crew to Boston, in accordance with a number of reviews.
The franchise would not play in Boston till the 2027 season. Pagliuca additionally would contribute $100 million for a brand new apply facility in Boston for the crew, an individual instructed The Related Press.
The individual spoke to the AP on situation of anonymity Saturday as a result of the deal hasn’t been publicly introduced. The sale is pending approval of the league and its board of governors.
“Relocation choices are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and never by particular person groups,” the league stated in an announcement.
The Solar have performed regular-season video games at TD Backyard the previous two years, together with one in opposition to Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in July.
The league has introduced 5 enlargement groups that can start play over the subsequent 5 seasons with Portland (2026), Toronto (2026), Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029) and Philadelphia (2030) becoming a member of the WNBA. Every paid a then-record $250 million enlargement price.
9 different cities bid for enlargement groups, together with Houston, which the league singled out as getting a crew sooner or later when it introduced Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia in June. Boston didn’t.
“No teams from Boston utilized for a crew at the moment and people different cities stay into consideration based mostly on the intensive work they did as a part of the enlargement course of and at present have precedence over Boston,” the WNBA stated. “Celtics’ potential possession crew has additionally reached out to the league workplace and requested that Boston obtain sturdy consideration for a WNBA franchise on the applicable time.”
The Solar are owned by the Mohegan Tribe, which runs the on line casino the place the crew has performed since 2003. The Tribe purchased the franchise for $10 million and relocated it from Orlando that 12 months. The Connecticut franchise was the primary within the league to be run by a non-NBA proprietor and have become the primary to show a revenue.
The WNBA has skilled fast progress the previous few seasons, and possession teams have been investing extra into their groups, together with participant experiences. That has come by means of apply amenities. The Solar are one of many few groups within the league that have not introduced any plans for a brand new coaching facility.
Connecticut practices both on the enviornment within the on line casino or a area people middle.
Regardless of the dearth of amenities, the Solar have been probably the most profitable groups within the WNBA, making the postseason in 16 seasons, together with a run of six straight semifinal appearances. However the crew was hit arduous this offseason, with the whole beginning 5 from final season leaving both by way of free company or commerce.
Connecticut is in final place within the WNBA at 5-21. The crew despatched out a letter to season-ticket holders final week saying it will nonetheless be taking part in on the on line casino subsequent 12 months.
The final crew to be bought within the WNBA was in 2021 when actual property investor Larry Gottesdiener led a bunch that purchased the Atlanta Dream for underneath $10 million. A 12 months earlier, Mark Davis paid roughly $2 million for the Las Vegas Aces.