Jennifer Rizzotti, president of the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun, told reporters Tuesday that the team’s ownership group is “exploring all options to strategically invest in the team,” including a potential sale.
Per Sportico, the franchise has hired investment bank Allen & Co. to conduct the probe and that the “expectation is a control sale and likely franchise relocation.”
The Sun have played out of the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, since 2003, when the Mohegan tribe bought the franchise for $10M and relocated the team from Orlando. The WNBA hasn’t seen a team relocate since 2017, when the San Antonio Stars moved to Las Vegas under new ownership and became the Aces.
In a statement provided to ESPN, Mohegan leadership said: “As an organization, Mohegan is consistently evaluating strategic options, investments and capital expenditures. The CT Sun has had monumental changes over the past 18 months and Mohegan is very proud of the success, increased interest and what remains to be such incredible community impact off the court as well. The WNBA overall has also seen immense growth in viewership and interest. These are fantastic trends for what is an amazing sport, with extremely dedicated and talented women.”
“Mohegan remains committed to the team’s continued success which includes looking at all strategic options in the best interest of the CT Sun, MTGA and WNBA.”
While the current assumption is that an outside bidder will purchase the team and relocate it, Rizzotti stressed that all options are on the table, including one in which the Mohegan Tribe retains controlling interest of the team, but sells off a minority stake.
The Sun have been one of the WNBA’s most successful franchises, making the playoffs in 16 of their 22 seasons in Connecticut and boasting six consecutive semifinal appearances. However, 2025 is setting up to be a rebuilding season after the team lost its entire starting lineup this offseason due to free agency or trades.
Connecticut is also one of the only WNBA franchises yet to either build, or announce plans to construct a dedicated practice facility. Many view the timing of the sales probe as the rationale behind this reluctancy, as the Sun’s ownership doesn’t want to invest millions of dollars into a new facility, just to see the franchise relocated under new ownership.
The Sun are preparing to kick off the 2025 WNBA season later this week when the club takes on the Washington Mystics on Sunday May 18th.
Photo: Lorie Shaull. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.