The Mohegan Tribe announced Monday morning that it has reached an agreement to sell the Connecticut Sun after 23 years of ownership.

Pending approval from the WNBA’s Board of Governors, the team will be sold to the Tilman J. Fertitta family and relocated to Houston ahead of the 2027 season. The team will play its final season in Connecticut this summer.

“Mohegan owes an enormous amount of gratitude first and foremost to our extraordinary fans cheering on the team for 23 incredible seasons,” said Joe Soper, the corresponding secretary for the Mohegan Tribe, in a statement. “This team and what the talented women who have worn this uniform over the years have meant to Mohegan Sun, our region and the impact they’ve made both on and off the court, has been nothing short of remarkable. That includes the dedication of our front office and the invaluable collaboration and support we’ve received from the State of Connecticut, as well as from businesses and other community partners across the region and beyond.”

ESPN reported Friday that the Fertitta family will purchase the Sun for $300 million, the largest sale in the league history. In Houston, the WNBA will resurrect one of its founding franchises, the Houston Comets, which folded in 2008. The Comets became the first and only team to win four straight WNBA championships from 1997-2000, and they still share the record for most league titles (4) with the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm.

The deal comes after the WNBA struck down multiple bids to keep the Sun in New England, including $325 million offers from prospective ownership groups in Boston and Hartford. Those bids also included multimillion-dollar commitments to build a practice facility for the team.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma had this to say as Connecticut Sun get ready to head for Houston

“The Connecticut Sun organization understands how emotional this moment is for our fans and community,” Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti said in a statement. “You have made a home for this franchise for generations, and we are grateful for the passion and support that made us a cornerstone team in the WNBA. While the league continues to grow and evolve, our commitment is to honor this legacy—and finishing this final season together with pride.”

The Mohegan Tribe saved the franchise when they purchased it for approximately $10 million and relocated it to Connecticut in 2003. The team was established as the Orlando Miracle in 1999 as a sister team to the NBA’s Orlando Magic, but Magic owner Rich DeVos had no interest in keeping the WNBA franchise and likely would have folded the organization had the Tribe not stepped in.

Six WNBA franchises folded under NBA ownership from 2002-09, but the WNBA’s recent explosion in popularity has brought with it a new wave of interest from the men’s league. Fertitta also owns the Houston Rockets, and the WNBA, which is 42% owned by the NBA, established a pattern of preference toward NBA ownership groups in its expansion process. Of six expansion teams awarded since 2023, all have gone to bids led by active NBA owners: Golden State (2025), Portland (2026), Toronto (2026), Cleveland (2027), Detroit (2028) and Philadelphia (2029).

The three most recent expansion franchises awarded — Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia — all paid the league an expansion fee of $250 million. ESPN reported that Houston will not have to pay a relocation fee to the league as part of its purchase of the Sun.

The Sun were consistently among the WNBA’s top-performing franchises on and off the court before the league’s sudden exponential growth. In 2010, it became the first WNBA team to make a profit, and it was top five in the league in attendance from 2018-22. Connecticut made eight consecutive appearances in the WNBA Playoffs from 2017-24, including two runs to the Finals.

But the team began to fall behind in its investment over the last three years as dedicated practice facilities and elevated player amenities became standard. The Sun practice at the Mohegan Tribe’s community center when they don’t have access to the court at Mohegan Sun, and attracting top talent to play in Uncasville became more and more challenging.

After the 2024 season, the Sun were forced into a major rebuild when almost every veteran on its roster left via free agency or trade. The team had its worst year since 2013 in 2025, going 11-33 and failing to make the postseason.