One of the most iconic names in WNBA history may be making a return. The Connecticut Sun’s record $300 million sale to the Fertitta family has set off a chain of events that could resurrect a franchise that once defined the early identity of the entire league.
Are the Houston Comets Returning to the WNBA?
Yes, the Houston Comets are finally coming back to the WNBA.
The Fertitta family, led by Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, reached a deal on Friday to purchase the Connecticut Sun for a record $300 million. The sale paves the way for the franchise to relocate to Houston in 2027 and be rebranded as the Comets, one of the most storied names in WNBA history.
The Sun will play one final season in Uncasville, Connecticut, in 2026 before making the move, with the team expected to play at the Toyota Center alongside Fertitta’s Rockets. An official announcement is expected Monday, March 30, pending approval from the WNBA’s Board of Governors.
The return carries enormous historical weight. The Comets were not just a WNBA team; they were the foundation on which the entire league was built. As one of the eight original franchises when the WNBA launched in 1997, the Comets, under Hall of Fame coach Van Chancellor, won the league’s first four consecutive championships from 1997 to 2000, a dynasty never matched.
The core of that run was three Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame players: Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, and Tina Thompson, who became the faces of the fledgling league and established Houston as the sport’s first true powerhouse. No WNBA team has won four straight titles since, and the Comets remain tied with the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm for the most championships in league history.
The end came swiftly back in 2008. After owner Hilton Koch put the team up for sale and found no buyers at his $10 million asking price, the WNBA dissolved the franchise that December, sending players across the league in a dispersal draft. Houston’s WNBA chapter closed without warning, leaving behind a fanbase and a legacy the sport never fully replaced.
MORE: WNBA World Reacts to the League’s ‘Dumb’ $25M Loss for Connecticut Sun’s Relocation to Houston
Why the Connecticut Sun’s $300 Million Sale Is Controversial
The path to this deal was far from clean. Last August, former Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca’s group agreed to purchase the Sun from the Mohegan Tribe for $325 million, a figure that would have been the highest ever paid for a professional women’s sports team.
But the WNBA blocked it, citing that Boston had not participated in the league’s expansion process and that cities that had done so retained priority.
A separate bid from Marc Lasry, who had plans to keep the team in Hartford, Connecticut, also failed to gain traction. The league ultimately approved the Fertitta deal for $25 million less than the rejected Boston offer, without even charging a relocation fee. This decision is drawing widespread criticism from analysts and reporters.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert had publicly flagged Houston as the league’s top priority as recently as June 2025, calling the Comets’ legacy “amazing” and describing Fertitta as a great supporter of the league.
For Connecticut, the departure marks the end of a 23-year chapter. The Sun made the playoffs in 16 of those seasons and reached the Finals four times, but the franchise had fallen behind its peers off the court.
It was the only team without a modern practice facility, a factor that contributed to the mass exodus of its entire starting lineup in the 2024 offseason. The Sun went 11-33 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
For Houston, it is a long-overdue homecoming. The Comets’ championship banners, their legendary players, and a fanbase that never stopped caring now have a franchise to call their own again.
