Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca has agreed to purchase the Connecticut Sun with plans to move the WNBA franchise to Boston, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe reported on Saturday.
Pagliuca has reportedly agreed to buy the team from the Mohegan Tribe for $325 million, which would be a record purchase price for a women's sports franchise. Pagliuca has additionally agreed to then spend an additional $100 million to build a new practice facility in order for the Sun to relocate to Boston. The franchise could be moved permanently by the 2027 season.
Before anything can happen, though, the sale and relocation plan would have to be approved by the WNBA and the league governors. Which could prove an obstacle; Washburn reports the league would prefer to save Boston as a possible expansion city in 2033. Furthermore he reports the WNBA has the power to force the Mohegan Tribe to sell to a Connecticut-based buyer in order to keep the team in the state, but the Tribe's preference is to sell to Pagliuca and move the team elsewhere.
On the other end, the report says the Celtics would have no issue with the Sun playing at TD Garden in the future.
The Sun currently play at Mohegan Sun Arena in Montville. After a few years as one of the top teams in the league the Sun have completely bottomed out this season and currently hold the W's worst record at 5-21 on the year.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Celtics Minority Owner Agrees to Buy Connecticut Sun With Plans to Relocate to Boston .
