Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca is hoping for another city-wide celebration soon, looking to buy the Connecticut Sun and move it to Boston for the 2027 WNBA season.
Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca is hoping for another city-wide celebration soon, looking to buy the Connecticut Sun and move it to Boston for the 2027 WNBA season.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca said the potential deal to buy the Connecticut Sun for a record amount and move the team still needs approval from the WNBA Board of Governors.
Pagliuca released a statement through his group on social media on Sunday, confirming an offer had been made to buy the team and move it out of Mohegan Sun Arena, but said there were still approvals that had not been obtained from the WNBA.
Steve Pagliuca released a statement this evening, basically saying the purchase of the #Sun and the relocation to Boston is in the WNBA’s hands. pic.twitter.com/S8a8E8mUi5
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) August 4, 2025
As reported in the Globe Saturday, a group led by Pagliuca has reached a deal to buy the Connecticut Sun from the Mohegan Tribe for a record $325 million and move the team to Boston. The franchise wouldn’t play in its new home until the 2027 season. Pagliuca also would contribute $100 million for a new practice facility in Boston for the team.
“Central to our proposal is enabling the Sun to play in larger capacity arenas in New England,” Pagliuca wrote. “We believe our record-setting offer and deep commitment to growing the WNBA in the region that is home to the most passionate basketball fans in the nation will significantly benefit the league, the team, and all its fans.”
The sale is pending approval of the league and its Board of Governors.
“Our offer is subject to obtaining the required league approvals, as is the case for all such transactions,” Pagliuca wrote. “This approval has not been obtained thus far, and we cannot proceed without it. We will respect, cooperate with, and abide by all league rules and decisions on these matters.”
The league put out a statement Saturday, saying that moving a team was at the discretion of the WNBA and not individual franchises.
“Relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams,” the league said in a statement.
One source told the Globe the WNBA would rather save Boston as a potential expansion city in 2033. The league has already announced expansion to Portland (Ore.), Toronto, Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia over the next five years.