OWNERS of the Houston Rockets are progressing in talks to purchase the Connecticut Sun and relocate the WNBA franchise, ESPN reported on Friday.
No formal offer has been made, and the two parties have not entered an exclusivity agreement, per the report. At the same time, Sun owners haven’t made a firm decision about the future of the franchise.
Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has expressed an interest in a franchise, but Houston was passed over when the WNBA announced in June that it was adding teams in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia between 2028 and 2030.
The WNBA will have 15 teams when it expands to Portland and Toronto in 2026.
ESPN reported that commissioner Cathy Engelbert told Fertitta that Houston would be “up next.”
The Sun are owned by the Mohegan Tribe, which purchased the former Orlando Miracle ahead of the 2003 season for $10 million. In May, the franchise hired New York investment firm Allen & Co. to explore selling and relocating the Sun.
In July, the Sun sent a letter to fans saying the team would play at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, for at least another season. — Reuters
