Despite recent relocation rumors, the Connecticut Sun are not going anywhere anytime soon. Although previous reports claimed that Boston Celtics owner Steve Pagliuca had purchased the Sun and would move them to Massachusetts, the WNBA has since slowed the hype with a recent statement.
The league slowed down the relocation rumors, saying that such decisions are not made by individual teams. The statement noted that the league's current focus is on its expansion process, in which multiple other cities “have priority over Boston,” according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
“Relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams,” the statement read, via Washburn. “As part of our most recent expansion process, in which three new franchises were awarded to Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia on June 30, 2025, nine additional cities also applied for WNBA teams and remain under active consideration. 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.”
The WNBA added the Golden State Valkyries in 2025 and will continue expanding with the introduction of the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo in 2026. The league's current expansion continues to ramp up, making it unsurprising that they would prioritize that venture over a team's relocation.
Boston continues to show interest in Sun
Even if it does not happen soon, Boston continues to express interest in acquiring the Sun. Connecticut is currently owned by the Mohegan Tribe, who also own the Mohegan Sun, where they currently play their home games.
While Pagliuca has been the name consistently mentioned in the Boston-Sun rumors, the WNBA statement also mentioned prospective Celtics owner Bill Chisholm. The businessman agreed to buy the Celtics for a reported $6.1 billion in March. The WNBA statement said that Chisholm has “reached out to the league's office” to advocate for the relocation of the Sun.
Although the Sun have been in Connecticut since their inception, a move to Boston would likely benefit the franchise. They have yet to develop a structured practice facility and are one of the few teams that remain without one.
