Steve Pagliuca confirms interest in purchasing Connecticut Sun, but says no deal in place
Pagliuca said that their offer is subject to obtaining the required league approvals.
While that is the case with all league transactions, it could be especially important in this case, as Pagliuca's group is reportedly intending to relocate the franchise out of Uncasville, Conn., the current home of the Sun, and to Boston. In his statement, Pagliuca did not confirm that Boston would be the future site of the franchise, but he did say that their offer would 'keep New England's WNBA team in New England.' He also said PagsGroups' bid has support from both Massachusetts governor Maura Healy and Rhode Island governor Daniel McKee.
'Central to our proposal is enabling the Sun to play in larger capacity arenas in New England,' Pagliuca said in a statement. 'We believe our record-setting offer and deep commitment to growing the WNBA in the region that is home to the most passionate basketball fans in the nation will significantly benefit the league, the team, and all its fans.'
The Sun played in Boston's TD Garden, which has a capacity of 19,156, in each of the past two seasons, with both regular-season games being sellouts.
Earlier Sunday, Connecticut Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti said that a sale by the Mohegan Tribe is 'not quite at the finish line yet,' but that the Tribe had explored different investment options this summer.
'If Boston was an option, it's hard to argue that they're not a city that's viable for a WNBA franchise,' said Rizzotti, who confirmed that the Sun will play in Connecticut for the 2026 season.
Pagliuca, a minority owner of the NBA's Boston Celtics, is reportedly trying to buy the Sun for $325 million — a would-be record sale for a professional women's sports franchise — and plans to contribute $100 million for a practice facility.
The WNBA said in a statement on Saturday that relocation decisions are 'made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams.' They added that while no groups from Boston bid for a franchise ahead of the league's Jan. 31 deadline, that the Celtics' incoming prospective ownership group — which does not include Pagliuca — has also reached out to the WNBA.
'(They) asked that Boston receive strong consideration for a WNBA franchise at the appropriate time,' the statement read.
Pagliuca, 70, is a longtime minority owner of the Celtics, having partnered with owner Wyc Grousbeck's family in 2002. He was one of the finalists for the team's majority sale, but in March, the Celtics were sold to Bill Chisholm, the managing partner of Symphony Technology Group, for what, at the time, was an NBA-record $6.1 billion.
When news was made public that Pagliuca did not have the winning Celtics bid, he said in a lengthy statement that he was 'saddened' to find out that he was not selected to steward the NBA franchise in the future.
Now, it appears his focus is on the WNBA.
'This approval has not been obtained thus far, and we cannot proceed without it. We will respect, cooperate with, and abide by all league rules and decisions on these matters,' Pagliuca said. 'As passionate basketball fans and strong believers in women's professional sports, we remain excited by this opportunity and would be honored to serve as the next stewards of this franchise, if the transaction can be approved.'
The potential $325 million price tag would be significant for the Mohegan Tribe. Expansion groups in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia all paid a reported $250 million in expansion fees to join the league in 2028, 2029, and 2030. The Sun moved to Connecticut from Orlando ahead of the 2003 season after the Tribe purchased the team for $10 million.
They were the WNBA's first independently-owned franchise as well as the first Native American Tribe to own a professional American sports team.
Connecticut has made the playoffs in eight straight seasons and at least the semifinals in the last six years, though both streaks appear to be in serious jeopardy considering the Sun currently have the league's worst record.
'I know there's still uncertainty about the future,' Rizzotti said, 'but our loyal fans, they're excited to be able to watch this team grow and get into Year Two of this retooling of the roster and see where we can go. And if it ends up being our last year here, we're going to make sure we blow it out.'
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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