Adam Silver is stirring the WNBA waters in ways that few expected. A blockbuster offer has landed on the table, but it comes with questions that cut deeper than dollars. The Connecticut Sun ownership finds itself caught between tradition and transformation, all while Silver’s move teases control and consequence. Suddenly, the air feels tense as the stakes soar higher. And the next chapter could decide more than just where a team plays.
Well, the Connecticut Sun have thrown their future into the spotlight, preparing to deliver multiple options to the WNBA after a record-shattering $325 million sale stumbled. The Mohegan tribe, long-time owners since the Orlando Miracle’s move in 2003, wants answers. Their agreement with Steve Pagliuca, the former Celtics minority owner, hit turbulence once whispers of his Boston relocation plans stirred pushback inside league corridors.
But the league was quick to flex its authority. It reminded everyone that relocation calls belong to the Board of Governors, not individual teams chasing grand moves. And in a sharper twist, it pointed out that Boston never even entered the recent expansion races. The message was clear. Cities that played by the rules hold priority, and Boston must wait its turn.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne tweeted: New details on a potential CT Sun sale, including: The league has offered to purchase the team for $250 million & not charge a relocation fee, allowing it to facilitate a sale to one of its preferred expansion cities.
New details on a potential CT Sun sale, including: The league has offered to purchase the team for $250 million & not charge a relocation fee, allowing it to facilitate a sale to one of its preferred expansion cities. Story w/ @alexaphilippou https://t.co/0XseNUlctG
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) August 19, 2025
The Mohegan tribe is weighing its next move with a mix of caution and defiance. Sources say four proposals are already on the table, ranging from a full sale to Steve Pagliuca, a transfer to Marc Lasry with a Hartford home, a partial stake sale, or letting the league itself buy the Sun for $325 million and decide its fate beyond Connecticut.
Yet tension lingers. A source close to ownership reveals frustration that the league is narrowing choices to its own script. The tribe feels cornered, especially after the league countered with a $250 million purchase offer. That plan, stripped of any relocation fee, would clear the way for the WNBA to handpick one of its preferred expansion cities. Thus, they believe the stakes deserve more freedom, and more respect.
And yet, Adam Silver’s shadow loomed large over the decision. Silver’s league sealed every path to Steve Pagliuca’s Boston dream. The door did not just close; it slammed. They gave the nod to expansion cities already in line, pushing Boston firmly outside the circle of priority.
Adam Silver’s frustrating offer shuts down Steve Pagliuca’s ambition
The Mohegan tribe informed the league it had reached an agreement with Steve Pagliuca to buy the Connecticut Sun, sharing an executive summary but no signed term sheet, sources said. Pagliuca’s blueprint featured a Boston relocation by 2027 and a $100 million practice facility. Questions surfaced quickly. Scheduling concerns at TD Garden put pressure on his vision before it could take shape.
The league raised doubts about Boston’s readiness, pointing to potential conflicts that could push games to Providence. Pagliuca’s group waved off the concern, but the real issue was Boston’s absence from recent expansion bids. After two decades of financial strain, the Mohegan tribe believes it has earned the right to maximize value and sees Pagliuca as a tested partner capable of keeping the team rooted in New England.
[US, Mexico, & Canada customers only] Jan 23, 2025; Paris, FRANCE; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks before the Paris Games 2025 NBA basketball game between the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters via Imagn ImagesStill, Adam Silver’s league has other plans. Sources reveal Boston could emerge in a later round of expansion, with new Celtics owner Bill Chisholm standing as the league’s preferred candidate. Even Governor Maura Healey has joined the discussions. All this drama comes as the WNBA races toward 18 teams by 2030, its soaring valuations and media deals setting a new gold standard for ownership.
The Connecticut Sun saga feels less like a sale and more like a standoff. On one hand, the NBA commissioner dreams of expansion. But on the other hand, he’s seemingly league is steering hard, locking doors for Pagliuca while dangling Boston’s future in new hands. The Mohegan tribe wants freedom, not fences. Expansion cities are lining up, values are exploding, and power is shifting fast. What happens next could redefine who truly controls the WNBA’s brightest stage.
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