The Connecticut Sun of the WNBA sold to the owner of the Celtic minority could move to Boston

A solar source said that the Mohegan tribe sought to leave the WNBA team, and two games closed at TD Garden in the past two years have encouraged the property to seek a group of Boston. Several Sun players praised the atmosphere, TD garden equipment and the city during their visits.

A potential sale must be approved by the WNBA and the league governors, and according to a source, the WNBA prefers to save Boston as a potential city of expansion in 2033. The league has already announced expansion teams in Portland, Toronto, Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia over the next five years.

The governor of Massachusetts, Maura Healey, campaigned for a long time for a WNBA team in Boston and told the globe that she supported any effort to move the sun here.

“I have been pushing for years in Boston to obtain a WNBA team; I think it would be great for Boston, “she said. “And it would be great for the WNBA and we saw that for a second consecutive year, a crowd closed at TD Garden. I’ve been there for a few years. I also think that it would be great for Connecticut Sun to move to Boston and represent all New England.

“We are the hub for New England and the place where basketball has been invented. I think it makes sense. ”

The sun has played in Connecticut since 2003, when they moved from Orlando. The franchise has become one of the best in the WNBA, reaching the finals four times (more recently in 2022), but enthusiasm has decreased in recent years. Mohegan Sun Arena is the smallest fourth place in the league and the Sun does not have a dedicated center of practice, rather leading training sessions at the gymnasium inside the community and the government center of the tribe. Often the sun is forced to share space with summer camps and other local events.

During the offseason, the team opted for a major reconstruction, allowing all of its five departure to sign elsewhere while coach Stephanie White left to cause Indiana fever. The sun, despite Friday’s victory against New York Liberty’s title champion, had a first 5-21 record with the new coach Rachid Meziane.

Last week, the SUN sent a letter to seasonal ticket holders assuring that the club will play the Mohegan Sun Arena during the 2026 season. The Boston group aims to move in 2027 and potentially play the games at the start of the season in Providence to avoid any conflict with the qualifying matches of Bruins and Celtics.

The WNBA has not yet commented on potential sale.

According to a source from the NBA, the Celtics would have no problem with the sunny sun. Several Celtics players attended the Sun games at TD Garden and have supported a team in Boston.

With the entries of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and the former star of Uconn Paige Bueckers, the WNBA is in an unprecedented wave of success. The expansion Golden State Valkyries sold the 11 home games at the Chase Center, also home of the Golden State Warriors of the NBA.

Healey said she had conversations with WNBA and NBA officials over the years about a Boston team.

“I know that the fastest way to bring a team to Boston is that the sun is moving to Boston,” said Healey to the Globe. “And I don’t want to wait [until 2033]. I don’t want Boston or New England to wait so long. Here we have an incredibly enthusiastic and energized base that wants to see a “W” team in Boston and for me, it seems to be in the best interest of everyone. »»

Pagliuca, whose attempt to buy the Celtics of the Wyc Groubeck group has failed, sought to bring a WNBA team to Boston in recent years. His group aggressively continued the sun when the tribe indicated that it was open to a sale.

A WNBA source said that if the League obliges the Mohegan tribe to sell to a buyer based in Connecticut to keep the team in the state, which it has the power to do, Mohegan will cooperate, but the choice of the tribe is to sell to the group based in Boston. This source said that the tribe determined that the sale of the franchise would be the most lucrative decision financially, and that it could then focus on managing its casino and hotel.

Gary Washburn is a columnist for the globe. It can be contacted in gary.washburn@globe.com. Follow him @Gwashburnglobe.