The WNBA and NBA board of governors have officially and unanimously approved the sale and subsequent relocation of the Connecticut Sun franchise. The team, previously owned by the Mohegan Tribe, will now be under the ownership of Tilman J. Fertitta, who also owns the Houston Rockets. This significant announcement was made on a Wednesday, following an initial agreement reached in March and substantive discussions first reported in December.

The Connecticut Sun will complete its 2026 season playing in Connecticut, with two games scheduled at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford and an additional game at TD Garden in Boston. Following the conclusion of the 2026 season, the franchise will officially relocate to Houston, Texas, ahead of the 2027 campaign. Sun president Jen Rizzotti emphasized the immediate priority for staff and players to focus on the current season, ensuring fans can create lasting experiences in Connecticut. She acknowledged the positive repercussions of being associated with the extensive resources and infrastructure available through the Houston Rockets organization, especially with the league's new CBA.

The Mohegan Tribe has been the owner of the Sun since 2003, when they acquired and moved the then-Orlando Miracle to Uncasville, Connecticut. Their ownership marked a historical milestone, as they were the league's first non-NBA owners and the first Native American tribe to own a professional sports team. Tilman J. Fertitta has owned the Houston Rockets since 2017, and his acquisition of the Sun signifies a new chapter for the franchise.

The sale of the franchise is anticipated to close shortly, contingent on final league approval. Reports from March indicated that the sale was valued at $300 million, setting a new record price for a WNBA team, and notably did not include a relocation fee. This substantial investment highlights the growing value and interest in the WNBA.

Initial collaborations between the Sun and Rockets personnel have already commenced, with more formal interactions expected now that the sale is official. Former ESPN NBA reporter Kevin Pelton has been appointed as the assistant general manager and vice president of analytics for the new WNBA franchise in Houston. Rizzotti confirmed that while strategic decisions for the 2026 season have largely rested with her and General Manager Morgan Tuck, Houston has been looped in, and a more formal relationship will evolve post-approval. She also indicated that Sun staff interested in moving to Houston would be welcomed, with more detailed conversations planned in the coming months.

Fertitta's acquisition of the Sun reflects an emerging trend of NBA owners investing in WNBA teams. All three of the WNBA's upcoming expansion teams in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia are also backed by NBA ownership. Rizzotti views this as a natural and beneficial shift, allowing WNBA teams to share resources—including basketball operations, front office functions, ticket sales, marketing, content creation, and facility infrastructure—within an existing basketball ecosystem. She praised the increased commitment from owners to invest in women's franchises on par with their NBA counterparts, expressing excitement about the league's growth and the resources Houston can provide even before the physical move.

The future of the Sun franchise had been uncertain for nearly two years, with the team exploring various investment options, including a potential sale, since the fall of 2024. A previous deal last summer to sell the team for a record $325 million to a group led by former Celtics minority owner Stephen Pagliuca, which would have moved the franchise to Boston, was effectively blocked by the WNBA. The league cited that relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and that cities like Houston, which had already undergone the expansion process, held priority over Boston for such a move.