Sun prez: Sale not done, staying in Conn. in '26

UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- Connecticut Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti confirmed Sunday that the squad plans to play astatine Mohegan Sun Arena successful 2026 aft a deal was reached Saturday for a Boston-based capitalist radical to bargain the franchise and relocate it determination for the 2027 season.

Rizzotti reiterated the merchantability by the Mohegan Tribe is "not rather astatine the decorativeness enactment yet." The merchantability and imaginable relocation to Boston are taxable to support by the WNBA Board of Governors.

In the meantime, the Sun person opened their play summons renewal process for adjacent season, which volition tally done Aug. 22.

"We've gotten a batch of affirmative feelings from our fans based connected the quality that we'll beryllium present adjacent year," Rizzotti said. "I cognize there's inactive uncertainty astir the aboriginal but our loyal fans, they're excited to beryllium capable to ticker this squad turn and get into Year Two of this retooling of the roster and spot wherever we tin go. And if it ends up being our past twelvemonth here, we're going to marque definite we stroke it out."

A radical led by Steve Pagliuca, a number proprietor of the NBA's Boston Celtics, agreed Saturday to bargain the Sun for $325 cardinal and lend $100 cardinal for a signifier facility, ESPN confirmed Saturday. The income terms would beryllium a grounds for women's sports franchise.

Rizzotti and the Mohegan Tribe are restricted successful what they tin accidental owed to a non-disclosure agreement, but the Sun president indicated immoderate connection would person to beryllium enactment successful beforehand of the league, and past the league would person to contiguous it to the Board of Governors.

The Mohegan Tribe initially purchased the franchise successful 2003, erstwhile it was the Orlando Miracle, and relocated it to Uncasville, making them the archetypal non-NBA owners of a WNBA team.

Rizzotti said the Mohegan Tribe is liable for "decades worthy of concern successful the WNBA earlier it was fashionable to ain a WNBA team," which she said is reflected successful the organization's tremendous on-court success: 17 playoff appearances, including 8 straight, arsenic good arsenic 4 trips to the WNBA Finals.

But the Sun are 1 of the dwindling teams remaining who person yet to physique oregon denote plans to implicit a dedicated signifier facility. The squad presently practices astatine Mohegan Sun Arena oregon astatine the Mohegan Tribal Center, a communal space. While WNBA arenas alteration successful size from astir 4,000 to 18,000 successful capacity, the Sun are astatine the little extremity of that range, fitting conscionable shy of 9,000 fans.

Rizzotti credited the Mohegan Tribe for being "thoughtful" astir the absorption the league is heading and argued it's "tried to bash what's champion for not conscionable this team, but for the league arsenic a whole." She has met with antithetic ownership groups successful caller months and said the Mohegan Tribe has done a thorough occupation of vetting imaginable caller owners.

"Have they gotten passed by?" Rizzotti said. "They cognize that, successful immoderate ways, but we've ne'er suffered successful loyalty and committedness and a large instrumentality basal and radical who truly attraction astir taking attraction of our players."

The Boston Globe, which archetypal reported the agreement, besides reported the league whitethorn unit the Mohegan Tribe to merchantability to a Connecticut-based purchaser and would similar to springiness Boston an enlargement squad successful 2033.

"I can't ideate that if determination is an concern radical astatine the close level successful a large city, wherefore anybody would not see that to beryllium a viable option," Rizzotti said.

The Sun sold retired games successful 2024 and 2025 astatine Boston's TD Garden, and Rizzotti says her conversations with players astir the league suggest they'd similar to play successful a bigger marketplace with much opportunities than Uncasville.

"Relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by idiosyncratic team," the WNBA said successful a connection Saturday, adding that cities that submitted enlargement bids person precedence implicit Boston successful that process.