It has been more than a year since the WNBPA opted out of the 2020 CBA, and since then, both sides have struggled to reach a new agreement. The stalemate has not only raised concerns about a potential lockout but has also left the future of the Connecticut Sun shrouded in uncertainty.

Reporter Maggie Vanoni appeared on the Hoops 360 to discuss the current situation in Connecticut following the Connecticut Sun’s announcement last year to begin selling tickets. That move confirmed the team would remain in Connecticut for the upcoming season, even as the franchise remains up for sale.

“I mean, the Sun have committed to playing in Connecticut for the 2026 season,” she said. “Beyond that, nothing has been announced. The franchise is currently up for sale and has been since last May.”

She continued, “They’ve had offers from Boston and from the state of Connecticut, and it appears both of those offers have been denied or blocked by the league. Through reporting, it seems the league prefers a move to a bigger market, possibly Houston. The Houston Comets previously played there before folding, and that market is now looking to reenter the WNBA. As a result, the franchise is in limbo. They cannot move, and they cannot be sold, until the CBA is finalized.”

We know that former Celtics owner Stephen Pagliuca attempted to purchase the Connecticut Sun and relocate the franchise to Boston, submitting a $325 million bid that would have been unprecedented in WNBA history. The league, however, shut the proposal down as Pagliuca had not applied for an expansion franchise.

The situation grew murkier when Marc Lasry entered the picture. The former Bucks owner and Connecticut native was willing to match the bid and keep the Sun where they are. The league rejected that offer as well, despite him fulfilling the criteria.

So why is the league hesitant to approve a sale? One major factor appears to be its preference for increasing NBA-linked ownership within the league. That helps explain why there are growing rumors that the Houston Rockets ownership group, led by Tilman Fertitta, is in serious talks to acquire the franchise and relocate it to Houston.

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But without a new WNBA CBA in place, it is hard to see why anyone would move forward with buying the Connecticut Sun. As Maggie Vanoni explained on the same Hoops 360 episode, a potential owner simply does not know “what they’re going to be getting into.”

“The other issue is the W really appears to be kind of putting the Sun on the back burner until the CBA is finalized. From our reporting at CT Insider, the Sun have reached out, the tribal owners of the Sun have reached out to the W to try to move forward with the process, and the league has either not responded or has been slow to respond,” she continued. “Obviously, the CBA is a priority and it affects way more than just the Sun. But the Sun themselves are still trying to figure out what their future looks like.”

In September of last year, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong formally raised concerns with the WNBA, requesting key league documents, including the WNBA, LLC Operating Agreement and the Membership Agreement involving the Connecticut Sun. Tong stated in his letter that he was “worried” the league “may be wrongfully blocking a sale of the Connecticut Sun,” warning that such actions could be anticompetitive and potentially violate state and federal law.

For now, there has been no progress toward a permanent sale of the franchise, and that is unlikely to change until a new CBA is agreed upon. Even that, however, remains firmly in a limbo.

Connecticut Sun sale might take more time given the slow progress in CBA talks

The WNBA’s CBA talks resumed in person for the first time since December, bringing together league officials led by Cathy Engelbert, team owners, the labor relations committee, and players. While the meeting lasted more than three hours, the absence of any new proposals quickly became a source of frustration for the players.

The league’s last proposal, submitted roughly six weeks ago, remains the only active offer on the table. Under that framework, the WNBA is proposing a $5 million team salary cap, with maximum salaries rising from around $250,000 to nearly $1.3 million by 2026 and average pay increasing from $120,000 to approximately $540,000.

The proposal also includes a revenue-sharing model in which players would receive 70 percent of net revenue, a figure that would gradually rise from 65 percent to as high as 80 percent over the length of the agreement.

Unsurprisingly, the union rejected the proposal and countered with an offer featuring a $10.5 million team salary cap and a revenue-sharing structure that would allocate 30 percent of gross revenue to players.

Over the past six weeks, the league has deemed the offer unrealistic and chose not to formally respond. Following the meeting, however, the league committed to drafting a new proposal, a step that could finally move both the CBA negotiations and the future sale of the Connecticut Sun forward.

Whether that progress materializes remains to be seen. For now, all sides are waiting.