Connecticut officials say they’re still fighting to keep the state’s only professional sports team in CT.
The Mohegan Tribe, which has owned the Connecticut Sun WNBA basketball team for more than twenty years, has been considering selling it. The team currently plays at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncastville.
They have two $325 million bids from groups in Boston and Hartford. However, the WNBA has the final say on the sale, and it doesn’t seem to want the team to relocate to either city.
“It's a moving situation,” Lamont said. “We're still in the game. Others are coming in with other bids now, and maybe paying an extra $100 million for transfer monies and the such. I think there are a lot of loose ends in this process right now.”
The value of the team and the league has skyrocketed in recent years. The Mohegans bought the team for $10 million in 2003. Sportico estimates it’s now worth $180 million.
Lamont has admitted that his state doesn't offer the same TV market power as cities like Boston. But, he said, Connecticut has a huge appetite for women’s basketball — and that’s reason to keep the team here.
“We've had a lot of conversations with the WNBA and NBA,” Lamont said. “They know where we stand. They know that we're going to keep them here in the state. We can do it on a temporary basis until there's another New England team. I think you want to have a team in New England, don't you? Come on. We're the home of women's basketball.”
If the WNBA won’t let them sell to either buyer, the Mohegan tribe may ultimately decide to keep the team. Or, they could sell it to the league, which may eventually relocate it, potentially to Houston, Texas.
The Sun is nearing the end of its season and has been uncharacteristically eliminated from playoff contention. They haven’t missed the playoffs in nearly a decade and made it to the finals in 2022.
As of press time, they were 11th in the league of 13 teams with a 28L-9W record.
Their final game this season is Sept. 10.
