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Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Celtics minority owner reaches deal to buy Connecticut Sun for record $325 million, sources say
A group led by Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca has reached a deal to buy the Connecticut Sun for a record $325 million and move the team to Boston, according to a person familiar with the sale. The franchise wouldn't play in Boston until the 2027 season. Pagliuca also would contribute $100 million for a new practice facility in Boston for the team, the person said. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Saturday because the deal hasn't been publicly announced. The sale is pending approval of the league and its Board of Governors. 'Relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams,' the league said in a statement. The Sun have played regular season games at TD Garden the last two years, including one against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in June. The league has announced five expansion teams that will begin play over the next five seasons with Portland (2026), Toronto (2026), Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029) and Philadelphia (2030) joining the WNBA. Nine other cities bid for expansion teams, including Houston, which the league singled out as getting a team in the future when it announced Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia in June. Boston did not. 'No groups from Boston applied for a team at that time and those other cities remain under consideration based on the extensive work they did as part of the expansion process and currently have priority over Boston. Celtics' prospective ownership team has also reached out to the league office and asked that Boston receive strong consideration for a WNBA franchise at the appropriate time.' The Boston Globe first reported the sale. The Sun are owned by the Mohegan Tribe, which runs the casino where the team has played since 2003. The Tribe bought the franchise for $10 million and relocated it from Orlando that year. The Connecticut franchise was the first in the league to be run by a non-NBA owner and also became the first to turn a profit. The WNBA has experienced rapid growth the last few seasons and ownership groups have been investing more into their teams, including player experiences. That has come in the way of practice facilities. The Sun are one of the few teams in the league that haven't announced any plans for a new training facility. Connecticut practices either at the arena in the casino or a local community center. Despite the lack of facilities, the Sun have been one of the most successful teams in the league, making the postseason in 16 seasons, including a run of six straight semifinal appearances. But the team was hit hard this offseason with the entire starting five from last season leaving either via free agency or trade. Connecticut is currently in last place in the WNBA at 5-21. The last team to be sold in the WNBA was in 2021 when real estate investor Larry Gottesdiener led a group that bought the Atlanta Dream for under $10 million. A year earlier, Mark Davis paid roughly $2 million for the Las Vegas Aces. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Former Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca to buy Connecticut Sun, move team to MA
It's a good day for New England basketball fans, and a bad day for New England basketball fans. Let us explain, starting with the good news. Former Boston Celtics owner Steve Pagliuca has bought the Connecticut Sun, bringing a long-desired WNBA team to the City of Boston, per recent reporting from the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn. The bad news is it will come at the expense of fans in the state to the south that currently is home to the Sun, rather than via expansion. "Pagliuca will pay a record $325 million for the team, according to those sources, then contribute $100 million for a new practice facility in Boston for the Sun to relocate from Uncasville, Conn," writes Washburn. Given the Nutmegger contingent of Northeast b-ball fans live in a state that still hasn't gotten over the loss of the NHL's Hartford Whalers several decades ago, we doubt this will go over well with Constitution State denizens. But in fairness, an ownership group willing to provide an arena and dedicated practice facility to the team, which often had to use Mohegan Sun tribal facilities instead, could have stepped up to keep the team in the state. Massachusetts Governor and avid basketball fan Maura Healey weighed in on the move, saying the move "would be great for the WNBA," noting that "for a second year in a row, (there was) a sellout crowd at TD Garden." "I also think it would be great for the Connecticut Sun to move to Boston and represent all of New England," she added. In fairness, they aren't moving the team to North Carolina, nor does Pagliuca seem poised to rename the club the "Hurricanes," so it's possible Healey is correct that Nutmeggers can come to support the team without a bad taste in their mouth as well. Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on: Spotify: iTunes: YouTube: This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Ex-Celtics owner Steve Pagliuca to buy Connecticut Sun, move team to MA
USA Today
7 minutes ago
- USA Today
Former Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca to buy Connecticut Sun, move team to MA
It's a good day for New England basketball fans, and a bad day for New England basketball fans. Let us explain, starting with the good news. Former Boston Celtics owner Steve Pagliuca has bought the Connecticut Sun, bringing a long-desired WNBA team to the City of Boston, per recent reporting from the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn. The bad news is it will come at the expense of fans in the state to the south that currently is home to the Sun, rather than via expansion. "Pagliuca will pay a record $325 million for the team, according to those sources, then contribute $100 million for a new practice facility in Boston for the Sun to relocate from Uncasville, Conn," writes Washburn. Given the Nutmegger contingent of Northeast b-ball fans live in a state that still hasn't gotten over the loss of the NHL's Hartford Whalers several decades ago, we doubt this will go over well with Constitution State denizens. But in fairness, an ownership group willing to provide an arena and dedicated practice facility to the team, which often had to use Mohegan Sun tribal facilities instead, could have stepped up to keep the team in the state. Massachusetts Governor and avid basketball fan Maura Healey weighed in on the move, saying the move "would be great for the WNBA," noting that "for a second year in a row, (there was) a sellout crowd at TD Garden." "I also think it would be great for the Connecticut Sun to move to Boston and represent all of New England," she added. In fairness, they aren't moving the team to North Carolina, nor does Pagliuca seem poised to rename the club the "Hurricanes," so it's possible Healey is correct that Nutmeggers can come to support the team without a bad taste in their mouth as well. Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on: Spotify: iTunes: YouTube:
