WNBA Could Return to New England in the 2030s

The WNBA might come back to New England in the 2030s, says league commissioner Cathy Engelbert. She spoke to reporters on Thursday night in Portland, Oregon. This news comes after the Connecticut Sun was sold and will move to Houston. The Sun was the only WNBA team in New England.

Earlier this year, the Mohegan Tribe sold the Connecticut Sun to billionaire Tilman Fertitta. Fertitta paid about $300 million for the team. He owns the Houston Rockets basketball team and is currently the U.S. Ambassador to Italy. He plans to move the Sun to Houston and bring back the Comets name.

The original Houston Comets were very successful in the WNBA. They were one of the first eight teams when the league started in 1997. The team won the first four WNBA championships in a row. They had famous players like Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, and Tina Thompson.

Engelbert thinks New England could get a new team someday. She said the Sun had great fans in Connecticut. The team plans to play some games in Hartford and Boston this year before moving. Engelbert believes New England is a strong sports market that could support a WNBA team again.

The WNBA did not get any offers from Boston groups during recent expansion. The league added teams in six cities instead: Golden State, Toronto, Portland, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Detroit. Two other buyers almost purchased the Sun before Fertitta. Steve Pagliuca wanted to move the team to Boston, and Marc Lasry wanted to keep it in Connecticut.