WNBA is entering its glow-up era—Valkyries joined the dance this year, and soon, cities like Portland, Detroit, and Toronto will have their own squads. But amidst all this expansion hype, one OG team might be packing its bags. The Connecticut Sun—once the Orlando Miracle—could soon be up for grabs as their owners explore selling options. From Orlando roots to Mohegan land, could the Sun now be on the verge of a whole new zip code? Believe it. The $80M question now is—who’s bold enough to bring the Sun home?

According to Eben Novy-Williams, deputy editor at Sportico, “SCOOP: The @ConnecticutSun are for sale. The team, which we valued at $80M last year, plays in the @WNBA’s smallest market, have lagged in investment, and could definitely relocate. Allen & Co. handling process. More w/ @kbadenhausen.”

The Mohegan Sun, which acquired the franchise in 2003, has tapped investment bank Allen & Company to explore selling the club. While an LP stake sale remains an option, multiple reports suggest a full control sale and relocation is far more likely. Notably, over 10 groups—many of whom previously bid during the ongoing WNBA expansion process—are seen as potential suitors.

However, two intriguing markets stand out: Philadelphia and Boston. The 76ers ownership group submitted an official bid for an expansion team earlier this year, while Boston, despite no formal bid, saw efforts led by Michael Carter-Williams and Donnie Wahlberg. “We are currently exploring the best way forward. We are open to all opportunities, be it expansion or acquisition,” said AJ Gerritson of Boston Women’s Basketball Partners. 

The timing feels inevitable. Despite a history of postseason success, the Sun lost Alyssa Thomas, Dijonai Carrington, and even coach Stephanie White in the offseason. And if past news is any indication, they fell behind in the WNBA’s facilities arms race.

Because, the Connecticut Sun’s practice court isn’t just for hoops—it moonlights for yoga sessions and birthday parties. Thomas had to call it out last year. “Mohegan has to do better,” she said as the team prepped for playoffs. “To have to share your court with a two-year-old[‘s] birthday party, it’s the ultimate disrespect. … We need more, we need better to compete at the highest level.”

For a franchise that’s battled deep into the playoffs, that’s a tough pill to swallow. In fact, it’s a miracle that the team has been so consistent despite all the facility problems it had.

Because in today’s WNBA, players aren’t just chasing trophies—they want year-round training hubs, elite recovery rooms, and cities that feel like destinations, not stopovers. And right now? Connecticut feels stuck in the slow lane while the rest of the league hits the gas. Chicago Sky is going ahead with the $38 million while Indiana, Dallas, and Portland follow behind with over $70m in budget.

“I’ve been here 11 years and yes, we’ve made changes, but a lot of things still have so much room for improvement. Women’s basketball is hot right now and so many people want to support what we’re doing…” Thomas had added. So you know, a change in ownership might just do miracles for them. 

With 19,156 fans packing Boston’s TD Garden for W hoops? The message is loud and clear—the Sun’s brightest days might be ready to rise in a new zip code.

Buying the Connecticut Sun: A Case for Philly

For the 29th consecutive season, the WNBA will launch without a team from Philadelphia. Let that sink in. Nearly three decades since the league’s birth, Philly—the fourth-largest media market in America, the grittiest, hungriest basketball city on the East Coast—still sits on the sidelines.

And it’s not like the city lacks pedigree. Dawn Staley, WNBA’s very own 6x All-Star, learned the game on North Philly’s courts. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert? She grew up in Collingswood, N.J.—a stone’s throw from South Philly. Philly has always been the basketball city that churns out legends. Still, the WNBA has yet to bring Philly into the fold.

Yes, Philly was on the 2025 expansion shortlist. But instead of the City of Brotherly Love, the franchises were handed to the Bay Area Valkyries and Portland (who’re now joining the league in 2026). Now, Toronto’s Tempo is next, while Detroit is rumored to be rolling out the red carpet for celebrities like Eminem to join ownership groups. And Philly? Still waiting. Still pleading.

“We’re looking for the right ownership groups with the right commitment, the right arena situation, the right city to support a WNBA franchise,” Engelbert said optimistically back in 2022. “Philly is definitely on a list.”

Two years later, in 2024, the WNBA’s message remained politely non-committal: “We continue to engage in productive conversations… but have no news to report at this time.”

Natasha Cloud, Broomall native and now Liberty point guard, also had strong opinions about this: “If you invest into us, there will be a return. But if you give us one foot in, one foot out, half-assed investment, of course we’re not going to produce,” she told The Philadelphia Inquirer last year.

David Berri, an economics professor who studies the WNBA, spelled it out: “It’s depressing how hard it is to find investors for this… WNBA revenue is now—on a per-team basis—larger 27 years in than NBA revenue was 27 years in, adjusting for inflation.” 

So here’s a radical idea: Stop waiting for the league to bless Philly with an expansion team. Go big. Buy one. The Connecticut Sun, a successful, established franchise, is owned by the Mohegan Tribe—but even their commitment has been in question in recent years. Philly investors, led by the city’s deep sports pockets and passionate fans, could swoop in, make an offer, and bring the Sun to the city that actually lives and breathes basketball.

It wouldn’t be the first time a franchise moved for the right offer. And Philly wouldn’t just get a team—they’d inherit a winning culture, a roster, and a chance to finally rewrite the WNBA map. Because Philly isn’t just on the list anymore. It’s overdue.