The WNBA and NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the sale of the Connecticut Sun to Houston Rockets owner Tilman J. Fertitta on Tuesday, with the franchise relocating to Houston for the 2027 season. The purchase price was not disclosed. Fertitta becomes the first owner to control both an NBA and WNBA team in the same market since the Los Angeles Sparks and Lakers split ownership structures in 2006.
The Mohegan Tribe acquired the franchise in 2003 when the Orlando Miracle relocated to Connecticut. The Sun reached the WNBA Finals six times under tribal ownership, including back-to-back appearances in 2022 and 2023, but never won a championship. Average attendance at Mohegan Sun Arena was 6,873 in 2024, seventh in the 12-team league. The franchise's lease at the tribal casino expires after the 2026 season. Fertitta's Golden Nugget Casinos compete directly with Mohegan Sun properties in Atlantic City and Lake Charles, making continued tribal ownership of a team playing in a rival's facility untenable.
Houston becomes the WNBA's 15th market and the largest metro area to gain a team since the league's 1997 launch. The city is home to 7.5 million people in the greater metro, compared to Connecticut's 3.6 million statewide population. Fertitta controls Toyota Center, where the Rockets play, giving the relocated Sun immediate access to an 18,055-seat NBA-quality arena without the facility-sharing complications that plagued the Las Vegas Aces before their 2020 move. The Rockets drew 17,823 per game in 2024, fourth in the NBA. Corporate sponsorship inventory in Houston's energy and healthcare sectors dwarfs Connecticut's casino-and-insurance base. The Sun's current jersey sponsor, Mohegan Sun itself, will not follow the team. At least three Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Houston—ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, and Sysco—have explored women's sports partnerships in the past 18 months but lacked a local franchise to anchor.
The approval follows the WNBA's expansion into Golden State (2025), Toronto (2026), and Portland (2026), which will bring the league to 15 teams. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has stated publicly the league will reach 16 teams by 2028, leaving one expansion slot. Philadelphia, Nashville, and Denver submitted formal interest letters in 2024. Fertitta's dual-franchise model may accelerate similar consolidation. NBA owners in Dallas, Phoenix, and Sacramento have each inquired about WNBA expansion terms within the past six months, according to two people familiar with league discussions. The Mavericks' Mark Cuban sold his majority stake before Dallas could bid, but incoming majority owner Patrick Dumont has kept the franchise on standby.
Fertitta will retain Sun head coach Stephanie White, who signed a four-year contract extension in October 2024. White coached the Indiana Fever to the playoffs in 2016 before joining Connecticut in 2023. The Sun's roster includes 2024 All-Star forward Alyssa Thomas and guard DiJonai Carrington, both under contract through 2026. Free agency opens in February, and two veteran players have already requested informal releases to explore East Coast options, according to a person with knowledge of the conversations. The WNBA's collective bargaining agreement allows players to void contracts in relocation situations, but only if they file within 30 days of official league approval, which starts the clock today.
Mohegan Sun Arena will host the Sun's final two seasons. The Mohegan Tribe will receive a percentage of future franchise appreciation, a structure similar to the Seattle SuperSonics' 2008 sale to Oklahoma City investors, where Seattle retained a claim on a replacement franchise. Fertitta has agreed to explore a potential Mohegan casino partnership in Houston, though Texas law prohibits commercial casinos outside tribal land, of which there is none in Harris County.
The relocated franchise will begin play in Houston in April 2027, aligned with the WNBA's standard May tip-off if the league adjusts its calendar as expected. Fertitta's Landry's hospitality group will handle game-day operations and premium suites, the same structure used for Rockets games. Season-ticket deposits open in March 2025, giving the franchise a 22-month runway to build a subscriber base before opening night.
The takeaway
Fertitta's dual-franchise model in Houston creates the template for NBA owners eyeing WNBA expansion, with facility control as the key leverage point.
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