Steve Pagliuca is buying the Connecticut Sun for $325 million (maybe)

[Gant]

Gary Washburn:

WNBA’s Connecticut Sun sold to Celtics minority owner, could move to Boston

WNBA basketball could be in Boston permanently by 2027 as a Boston-based group led by Celtics minority governor Steve Pagliuca has reached a deal with the Mohegan Tribe to move the Connecticut Sun to TD Garden, according to multiple sources involved in the transaction.

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. Sources said the Tribe has been looking to sell the club and the record offer expedited the process.

The sale price would be the highest ever for a professional women’s sports franchise.

A Sun source said the Mohegan Tribe has been looking to move on from the WNBA team, and two sellout games at TD Garden the past two years encouraged ownership to look for a Boston group. Several Sun players lauded the atmosphere, TD Garden amenities, and the city during their visits.

According to an NBA source, the Celtics would have no issue with the Sun moving in. Several Celtics players have attended the Sun games at TD Garden and have expressed support for a team in Boston.

paywall: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/08/02/sports/connecticut-sun-move-boston-pagliuca

The sale and move still has to be approved by the WNBA. Marc Lasry, former co-owner of the Bucks is also bidding and wants to move the team to Hartford.

[31to6]

Cool rebound by Pags; hope it works out for all involved!

[bigfoot_cryptozoology]

Worcester Centrum...

[Parliament10]

Gary Washburn:

WNBA’s Connecticut Sun sold to Celtics minority owner, could move to Boston

WNBA basketball could be in Boston permanently by 2027 as a Boston-based group led by Celtics minority governor Steve Pagliuca has reached a deal with the Mohegan Tribe to move the Connecticut Sun to TD Garden, according to multiple sources involved in the transaction.

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. Sources said the Tribe has been looking to sell the club and the record offer expedited the process.

The sale price would be the highest ever for a professional women’s sports franchise.

A Sun source said the Mohegan Tribe has been looking to move on from the WNBA team, and two sellout games at TD Garden the past two years encouraged ownership to look for a Boston group. Several Sun players lauded the atmosphere, TD Garden amenities, and the city during their visits.

According to an NBA source, the Celtics would have no issue with the Sun moving in. Several Celtics players have attended the Sun games at TD Garden and have expressed support for a team in Boston.

paywall: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/08/02/sports/connecticut-sun-move-boston-pagliuca

The sale and move still has to be approved by the WNBA.

They're coming to TD Garden?
Their Season is a different time of year, from the NBA & NHL. It could work.

Celtics really should get their own venue, separate from the Bruins.
Though "Where?" is the question.

$325M, that's about what the Celtics were bought for, back in the early 2000's?

[bigfoot_cryptozoology]

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[Parliament10]

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[KamikazeK]

I'm really excited for this! I've wanted to get into the WNBA for a long time, but wouldn't have felt right being a fan of any of those teams. Now, the league has a new fan for sure. I need to learn about who's on the team and stuff now.

[ThePigeon]

Is JT part of the deal?
He wanted to own a WNBA team

[darrendaye]

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It did, but only about the relocation part. Pags can't unilaterally move the franchise.

[Bostonic33]

I feel we are all missing something. WNBA has never made a profit. And Pags isn't stupid.

[Gant]

I feel we are all missing something. WNBA has never made a profit. And Pags isn't stupid.

The Sun are profitable and have been for many years. But undoubtedly Pagluica isn't doing it primarily to make money.

[Parliament10]

I feel we are all missing something. WNBA has never made a profit. And Pags isn't stupid.

The Sun are profitable and have been for many years. But undoubtedly Pagluica isn't doing it primarily to make money.

The Sun went profitable in 2010. And were the first WNBA team, not owned by the NBA.

https://sports.yahoo.com/article/dom-amore-ct-sun-departure-201500759.html

The Sun turned a profit in 2010, a first for The W. All those years when pro women’s basketball struggled to gain a beachhead in the national sports landscape, Connecticut and Mohegan Sun were safe harbor.

[jfs1000d]

WNBA and the Sun kind of shot down the report in a way that makes it seem they are upset it came out. Wonder if the new Boston owner wants to edge out pags.


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[GoCeltics123]

WNBA and the Sun kind of shot down the report in a way that makes it seem they are upset it came out. Wonder if the new Boston owner wants to edge out pags.


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Chisholm might want it in a new arena

[KamikazeK]

Really weird how the league is having them grovel like this. Honestly kinda souring me on the whole idea. If they force a sale to someone else and make Boston wait until 2033 or whenever then I'm gonna be seriously annoyed and will have plenty of time to consider whether or not I really wanna support this greedy league. Give me a Boston team now, not later.

[SuperDeluxe]

This might be the reason:

"Any sales agreement with relocation of the team to a different market would need to be approved by the WNBA and would also be subject to non-disclosure terms," the Mohegan leadership said in a statement Saturday. "Therefore, we cannot comment on any specifics of who, if anyone, has submitted offers or seeks investment in the Connecticut Sun at this time."

Source: https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/45887039/reports-celtics-minority-owner-buy-sun-move-team-boston

[Gant]

Boston Globe:

Pagliuca released a statement through his group on social media on Sunday, confirming an offer had been made to buy the team and move it out of Mohegan Sun Arena, but said there were still approvals that had not been obtained from the WNBA.

“Central to our proposal is enabling the Sun to play in larger capacity arenas in New England,” Pagliuca wrote. “We believe our record-setting offer and deep commitment to growing the WNBA in the region that is home to the most passionate basketball fans in the nation will significantly benefit the league, the team, and all its fans.”

“Our offer is subject to obtaining the required league approvals, as is the case for all such transactions,” Pagliuca wrote. “This approval has not been obtained thus far, and we cannot proceed without it. We will respect, cooperate with, and abide by all league rules and decisions on these matters.”

There's another group in the mix. Hartford Courant:

An investment group led by billionaire Marc Lasry, a former owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, is attempting to compete with an ownership group from Boston to buy the Connecticut Sun, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told The Courant.

The group led by Lasry would keep the team in Connecticut, with a home at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford. The Hartford group’s bid also exceeds $300 million and includes plans to construct a new dedicated practice facility for the team. The Mohegan Tribe had a period of exclusivity to sell to the Boston group, led by Celtics minority governor Steve Pagliuca, which has since expired, so both offers remain on the table.

https://www.courant.com/2025/08/03/not-quite-at-the-finish-line-hartford-group-competing-with-boston-bid-to-keep-connecticut-sun-in-state

[bisme37]

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