WNBA, NBA Approve Sun Sale to Fertitta for Houston Move

The WNBA and NBA boards of governors unanimously approved the sale of the Connecticut Sun to Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta on Wednesday, paving the way for the franchise to relocate to Houston ahead of the 2027 season and revive the Houston Comets name.

The transaction, valued at a record $300 million according to sources familiar with the deal, ends the Mohegan Tribe's 23-year ownership of the team. The tribe purchased the franchise, originally the Orlando Miracle, in 2003 for about $10 million and relocated it to Uncasville, Connecticut, where it has played primarily at Mohegan Sun Arena since. That move made the Mohegan Tribe the first Native American tribe to own a major professional sports team and one of the league's early independent owners during a period of instability when nine WNBA franchises folded or relocated between 2002 and 2009.

The Sun will complete the current season and its final full year in Connecticut in 2026, with most games at Mohegan Sun Arena. The team has scheduled two regular-season contests at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford on May 30 and July 2, plus one at TD Garden in Boston on August 18, as part of a "sunset season" to honor its New...