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HOUSTON - The Connecticut Sun have reached an agreement to sell the team to Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta for $300 million and will move to Houston in 2027, according to a person familiar with the deal.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press on Friday because the deal hasn’t been announced publicly.
Deal still needs approval
What's next:
The WNBA Board of Governors still needs to approve the sale and the move. The team will play in Connecticut for the upcoming season before moving to Houston and becoming the Comets.
This will end a 23-year run by the team in New England after the team moved to Connecticut from Orlando in 2003.
With the news of the deal on Friday, it allows the franchise to have clarity for potential free agents who could sign with the Sun next month.
HOUSTON, TX - MARCH 18: Generic view of Houston Comets banner during the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets on March 18, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images)
Bids for the Connecticut Sun
The backstory:
Houston was one of the groups that expressed interest in buying the team last year, eventually raising its bid to $250 million — the amount that Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia paid for expansion fees.
The Sun had an offer for $325 million from a group led by Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca that would have moved the franchise to Boston. The WNBA basically blocked that deal from happening by saying that "relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams."
The league also went on to say that other teams had gone through the expansion process and had priority over Boston.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said during a news conference to announce the three new expansion teams that Houston was up next.
Winning history in Houston
The Houston Comets were one of the original franchises in the league that won the first four WNBA championships from 1997-2000. The franchise disbanded after the 2008 season.
The Source: The information in this article comes from the Associated Press.