Fans packed arenas, tuned in by the millions, and spent big all throughout 2024. The energy around the league was electric, with everyone convinced the future had finally arrived. But for all the celebration, nobody expected drama to come from the owner’s box. One bold move has put the league and one historic franchise on a collision course. Now, everyone wants to know who is really in control and what happens next.
Why Did the WNBA Push Back Against Steve Pagliuca’s Plan to Move the Connecticut Sun to Boston?
The good vibes from a landmark 2024 season carried straight into 2025, with the league adding expansion teams and rolling out long-term plans for bigger growth. While fans cheered the rise of women’s basketball, an unexpected twist came when Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca and his investment group reached a deal to buy the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun from the Mohegan Tribe.
clean putback from Mabrey 😮💨#BringTheHeat | #CTSun pic.twitter.com/2LmV5rNzWy
— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) August 3, 2025
The story broke Saturday in The Boston Globe: Pagliuca’s group agreed to buy the team for $325 million, the biggest price tag in WNBA history. Along with the deal, Pagliuca pledged another $100 million for a new training facility in Boston, with plans to move the Sun to TD Garden. The idea of giving a struggling franchise a shot in a huge market, plus another win for women’s sports, had fans talking.
But things got complicated fast.
According to a statement provided to The Athletic, the WNBA made it clear the move is nowhere near a sure thing. League officials didn’t just slow-walk the news; they openly questioned whether they would approve it at all, signaling that Boston’s expansion opportunity might be set aside for a new team down the road, not a relocated one.
“Relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams,” the statement provided to the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn said. “As part of our most recent expansion process, in which three new franchises were awarded to Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia on June 30, 2025, nine additional cities also applied for WNBA teams and remain under active consideration.”
“No groups from Boston applied for a team at that time, and those other cities remain under consideration based on the extensive work they did as part of the expansion process and currently have priority over Boston. Celtics’ prospective owner Bill Chisholm has also reached out to the league office and asked that Boston receive strong consideration for a WNBA franchise at the appropriate time,” read the statement.
Here’s a statement from a WNBA spokesperson to @TheAthletic re: a potential sale of the Sun to Steve Pagliuca (and a potential move to Boston) https://t.co/O8D8Ts05DM pic.twitter.com/lqPhIqkjWi
— Ben Pickman (@benpickman) August 2, 2025
This showdown isn’t just about one owner and one team. The WNBA is in expansion mode, eager for new markets. Just last month, the league confirmed Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia are slated for new teams starting in 2028, 2029, and 2030. That’s on top of earlier wins for Toronto and Portland, who are set to debut in 2026.
It’s not just those cities lining up, either. Associated Press’s Doug Feinberg reported that St. Louis, Austin, Nashville, Charlotte, Miami, Houston, Denver, and Kansas City also placed bids but came up short. That shows just how fierce the expansion race has gotten.
What Does This Uncertainty Mean for the Connecticut Sun’s Future?
With all that happening, the WNBA’s pushback on moving the Sun to Boston starts to make sense. The league wants its growth to follow a strategic path, weighing which cities get teams and how to maximize excitement around new franchises. Pagliuca’s play for the Sun tries to skip that line, which the WNBA doesn’t look ready to allow, no matter how much money is involved.
For the Connecticut Sun, the focus isn’t just on the front office. Their (5-21) record has made for a tough 2025 so far, making it hard to keep fans locked in and excited. Moving to Boston might mean bigger crowds, a brighter spotlight, and new life for a franchise that desperately needs it.
But for now, the future is a mystery. The brakes are on, and everyone in the league -players, fans, owners – are stuck waiting to see who makes the next move.
