WNBA Team Sold For Over $300 Million, Will Relocate
The WNBA is seeing investment like never before and some of the rising tide is clearly raising all boats.
On Saturday, the Boston Globe reported that Boston Celtics minority owner Stephen Pagliuca is set to buy the WNBA's Connecticut Sun team for $325 million. The price shatters the previous record of $250 million recently set for the purchase of new expansion teams.
As part of the sale, Paliuca will be moving the team to the city of Boston, where they will play at the TD Garden - home of the Boston Celtics. The move could occur as soon as 2027.
"The WNBA's Connecticut Sun could be headed to Boston permanently under a deal led by Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca to buy the team and move it to TD Garden," the outlet reported on X.
Fans were shocked and confused
The WNBA has a reputation for being a money sink, having never turned a profit and other insults over their financial stability. So when news of the sale broke, fans first remarked on the state of Connecticut losing its only pro sports team. But they quickly moved to wondering why anyone would want to spend that much money on a WNBA team.
"Makes too much sense for with the growth of the league … unfortunate for fans in CT but that's business," one user on X wrote.
"lol, Connecticut sports market abandoned once again. Also, where the heck is the value in this sport for that type of money? I'm curious," wrote another.
"Ain't no way someone who has access to the books is spending this much on a losing product. They are feeding the media lies. If it was true, this team should be worth 10m max," a third remarked.
"There's not a single state in the US which cares more about women's basketball than Connecticut. Not a single one. And now they're moving the only top-flight pro sports franchise the state has left. Disgraceful."
"But... they are losing 40m a year! Why spend 325m?"
Unique beginnings
Prior to their sale, the Connecticut Sun might have had the most unique ownership group in American sports.
Since being purchased from RDV Sports in 2002, the team has been owned by the Native American Mohegan tribe, owners of the iconic Mohegan Sun casino chain. As a result, the Sun are the first and only professional sports team in the U.S. to be owned and operated by a Native American tribe.
Prior to the Seattle SuperSonics leaving Seattle in 2008, the Sun were also the only WNBA not playing in the same metro area as an NBA counterpart until the Las Vegas Aces moved from San Antonio in 2018.
Some may feel that the Mohegan tribe are cashing out too early as the WNBA is on the verge of potentially exploding in growth. But if they either need the cash infusion now or simply don't trust that the revenue will follow, you can hardly begrudge them for wanting to strike while the iron is hot.
You have to feel for the people of Connecticut though. Once again the state has lost a beloved pro sports team.WNBA Team Sold For Over $300 Million, Will Relocate first appeared on The Spun on Aug 2, 2025
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Aug 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
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