The WNBA made one of its most controversial decisions in recent memory on Friday, agreeing to sell the Connecticut Sun to the Fertitta family for $300 million and relocating the franchise to Houston. The move has drawn widespread backlash, not just because of where the team is going, but because of what the league left on the table to get there.
Analysts Blast the WNBA for Leaving $25 Million on the Table
The outrage stems from a straightforward sequence of events. Former Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca’s group had offered $325 million to purchase the Sun and relocate them to Boston.
A Connecticut-based group that included Marc Lasry matched that offer. The WNBA blocked both deals and instead approved the sale to the Fertittas for $25 million less, without even charging a relocation fee.
For many in the media, the decision defied logic.
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Sports commentator Sean Grande called it an embarrassment for the league. He drew a direct comparison to one of the NBA’s most regretted decisions.
“Really bad look for the WNBA here…off the chart bad. Turned down more money, from a proven NBA owner, to keep the team in New England. Houston should have a team, just not New England’s. It took the NBA 20 years to correct the same mistake with Seattle.”
Really bad look for the WNBA here…off the chart bad.
Turned down more money, from a proven NBA owner, to keep the team in New England.
Houston should have a team, just not New England’s.
It took the NBA 20 years to correct the same mistake with Seattle. https://t.co/ySGWPwI4gV
— Sean Grande (@SeanGrandePBP) March 27, 2026
Author Dylan Dittrich zeroed in on the financial absurdity of the decision, noting that the WNBA prioritized Fertitta’s NBA ownership ties over a higher bid and the interests of the Mohegan Tribe, who had owned the franchise since 2003.
“Pagliuca’s group reportedly offered $325 million to move the Sun to Boston. A Connecticut group that included Marc Lasry matched that offer. But Fertitta gets the Sun for $25 million less to move to Houston?! Just so maddening. Prioritizing an NBA owner over the Mohegan Tribe,” he wrote.
Pagliuca’s group reportedly offered $325 million to move the Sun to Boston.
A Connecticut group that included Marc Lasry matched that offer.
But Fertitta gets the Sun for $25 million less to move to Houston?!
Just so maddening. Prioritizing an NBA owner over the Mohegan Tribe. https://t.co/AwLnJWSb4N
— Dylan Dittrich (@DylanDittrich) March 27, 2026
Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy was more blunt, writing: “So Pagliucca offered more to bring it to Boston and got denied. Make it make sense. Only the @WNBA.”
So Pagliucca offered more to bring it to Boston and got denied. Make it make sense. Only the @WNBA https://t.co/fPopufdMhl
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) March 27, 2026
Popular WNBA content creator Kee offered a more balanced take, acknowledging the excitement of Houston getting a team while mourning what Connecticut lost. “I love that Houston has a team now but it really sucks for the CT base dawg. They was loyal af. Whack that they couldn’t find another solution,” she wrote.
I love that Houston has a team now but it really sucks for the CT base dawg. They was loyal af. Whack that they couldn’t find another solution https://t.co/6rJaTHaUNj
— Kee (@lifewithkeerose) March 27, 2026
Front Office Sports’ Keith Smith focused on the geographic abandonment of an entire region. “So, instead of selling the team to a group in Boston, where Sun fans could have still seen the team play, they move the team to halfway across the country. Sure, that makes sense. To be clear, Houston should have a team if they want to expand. But now there is no team in all of New England. That’s dumb,” Smith wrote.
So, instead of selling the team to a group in Boston, where Sun fans could have still seen the team play, they move the team to halfway across the country.
Sure, that makes sense. To be clear, Houston should have a team if they want to expand. But now there is no team in all of… https://t.co/lSFslG3Zmu
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) March 27, 2026
Despite the controversy surrounding the process, the destination itself carries genuine historical significance.
Houston Comets Name Returns as the Franchise Prepares for Its 2027 Move
The Sun is expected to adopt the Houston Comets name upon relocation, reviving one of the most iconic brands in WNBA history. The original Comets, led by Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, and Tina Thompson, won the league’s first four championships from 1997 to 2000, establishing the first dynasty in WNBA history and laying the foundation for the league’s early identity.
The Sun will play one final season in Uncasville, Connecticut, in 2026 before relocating to Houston in 2027, where the team is expected to play at Toyota Center, home of the NBA’s Houston Rockets.
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 strong supporter of the league.
The sale still requires approval from the WNBA’s Board of Governors, with an official announcement expected Monday.
The Connecticut Sun had made the playoffs in 16 of their 23 seasons in Uncasville and reached the Finals four times, but the franchise had fallen behind its peers off the court. It’s the only team without announced plans for a new practice facility, a factor that contributed to the mass exodus of its starting lineup in the 2025 offseason.
The record $300 million sale price underscores how dramatically franchise valuations have shifted in the WNBA, compared to the last sale in 2021 when the Atlanta Dream sold for under $10 million.
