Is the Connecticut Sun Not Relocating to Boston or Hartford? Everything to Know About State’s Proposal to the WNBA

Is it fair to say that the Connecticut Sun sale can make or break Cathy Engelbert’s reign as WNBA commissioner? Prioritizing expansion plans during a surge of popularity makes sense, but Engelbert has definitely stepped on some toes during her dealings with the Mohegan Tribe. Both parties are at a stalemate and refuse to budge from their stances.

The owners of the Sun want their $325M valuation matched, either through the sale of the entire team or by selling a minority stake. On the other hand, the WNBA wants to pay its own price, $250M, and move the team to a more favorable market. But recent developments might allow for a middle ground that benefits both parties, and the state of Connecticut, too. So, could it be possible that the Connecticut Sun won’t relocate to Boston, Hartford, or Houston? Let’s find out.

Will the Connecticut Sun relocate? Exploring the Mohegan Tribe’s newest offer

Regardless of the reasoning Cathy Engelbert and the WNBA gave about relocation decisions, there’s a pretty common fan sentiment going around town– “Your thanks to the Connecticut Sun is to say ‘my way or the highway’?” Trying to strongarm the league’s first non-NBA owners into a deal that makes them lose money isn’t a great look for the W. For the last few weeks, the Mohegan Tribe has had its back to the wall, until suddenly, it didn’t.

A new challenger has approached the field, and this time, it’s the state of Connecticut itself! Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Connecticut loves sports, and they adore women’s basketball. Think UConn Huskies. And now that there are rumors of relocation and expansion, the state of Connecticut has had its say!

According to ESPN, “The proposed investment, which would use funds affiliated with the state, would involve the Sun selling a minority stake in the franchise at a valuation higher than the WNBA’s current $250 million offer to buy the team.” Basically, the Sun started with three options:

1. Sell the entire team to the highest bidder between Pagliuca and Lasry
2. Sell the entire team to the WNBA at a subsidized rate so that it can be used for expansion into new markets
3. Sell a minority stake in the team

And Connecticut would rather the Mohegan Tribe remain as the majority owners of the team. That’s not where it ends, however. “The state would also build and finance a practice facility in Hartford.” As per ESPN’s report, the state would lease out a practice facility in Hartford to the franchise after building and financing it themselves. Not to mention, the games would happen at the Mohegan Sun Arena, as well as the PeoplesBank Center in Hartford, allowing for greater reach of the WNBA team in Connecticut.

Why did Connecticut issue this offer?

Simple: They love basketball, and they love the Sun. Connecticut’s Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz spoke with ESPN about the offer that they put forward recently. “I do believe that the best place for the Connecticut Sun is Connecticut because we have this very fierce fan base for women’s basketball,” she said. “We love the Huskies. We love watching the Sun. So many of our favorite players from UConn will be part of the Sun or have been part of the Sun, and we’ve seen that the Connecticut Sun players have been great community leaders and role models.”

On top of that, it does have a lot to do with how the Sun came to Connecticut. No one thought the city would be a good place for basketball, but the tribe insisted. The Mohegan Tribe “took a leap of faith going back to the beginning,” and it all paid off in the years to come. Now, they’re being presented with a golden opportunity to keep the team, stay up to date in terms of finances, and not give in to the WNBA’s demands.

What does this deal mean for everyone else?

The main thing that Connecticut’s deal does is provide the Mohegan Tribe with a lot of freedom. Instead of being force-fed prices and locations that the league likes, the Sun can choose to stay right where it is while earning some major cash.

But what this also means is that the WNBA’s strategic advantage has been dismantled. The league can no longer hold relocation as a possible means to deny this sale. So while the Mohegan Tribe won’t be able to fully rid themselves of the Sun, they’ll still get the respect and cash they wanted to in case of a complete sale.

Still, nothing is set in stone so far. We don’t know which offer the Mohegan Tribe will favor, and whether they just want to wash their hands of the entire Sun brand. After all, the team has been rather successful over the decade, having made 8 consecutive finals in the from 2017 to 2024, and the sudden rise in popularity for the WNBA means the Tribe can generate maximum profit at this point.

It will be interesting to see how Cathy Engelbert manages this roadblock. For a second, the WNBA acquiring the Connecticut Sun seemed unavoidable. However, if the state itself wants the team to stay, what more could the league want?