WNBA reportedly prefers Houston over bids to keep Connecticut Sun in New England

The GIST: This week, Front Office Sports (FOS) shared updates on the ongoing saga surrounding the sale of the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun. In early August, weeks after Steve Pagliuca pledged a record $325M to bring the Sun to Boston, FOS reported the Mohegan Tribe approved the deal, but the W never did.

• Because of that, the exclusivity window for the Boston deal closed, allowing a Marc Lasry–led group to match Pagliuca’s offer and leaving room for Houston to enter the chat. Let’s recap what we’ve learned so far and the business case for relocation…or not. So much in motion.

The backstory: The Sun began exploring sale options in May, with Pagliuca’s offer seeming like a done deal pending approval by the WNBA Board of Governors. The sale was reportedly presented to W commissioner Cathy Engelbert but never brought to the board, meaning Lasry’s bid to relocate the team to Hartford, CT could enter and match the Boston bid.

• Boston has proven it has the facilities and fans to support a move, yet the W has “emphasized Boston was not one of the 12 cities to bid for an expansion team” in recent months and the nine cities that lost out have priority over Beantown. Additionally, FOS sources said the W doesn’t want a team in Hartford.

• Without these options, where does the league want the Sun to shine? Houston, apparently. That’s reportedly the preferred location for the team after Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta threw his hat in the ring months ago. According to a league source, the W likes Houston if Fertitta can match the other bids and pay an additional relocation fee.

The context: Although the Sun relocated from Orlando in 2003, moving a sports franchise is always a brand risk, especially with the W seeing healthy expansion success. It’s worth considering safer options since relocations garner mixed reactions from fans: The new market may embrace the team, but regional fandom may never follow.

• Plus, a 2023 Morning Consult study found relocation doesn’t drive fandom, with two-thirds of sports fans saying a team’s move to a nearby city within five years had no influence on why a team was their favorite. That’s a tough metric, considering the New England–based fans, businesses, and partners that would be less affected by a move to Boston or Hartford.

Lingering questions: With multiple qualified, motivated parties nearby, does it make sense to move the Sun to Houston now, or grant a separate franchise in the future? Would it be better to uproot this New England institution, or would it be better to revive the Comets or launch a brand-new franchise? Ask the SuperSonic fans who remain sleepless in Seattle.