Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca has reached an agreement to purchase the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun from the Mohegan Tribe for $325 million, the highest price ever paid for a professional women’s sports franchise, according to multiple reports on Saturday. Pagliuca’s group plans to relocate the Sun to Boston as soon as the 2027 season and invest an additional $100 million in a new training facility. Home games would be played at TD Garden, which the NBA’s Celtics and NHL’s Bruins already share. The transaction and proposed move still need approval from the WNBA Board of Governors. Boston had previously been viewed as a potential expansion market, so the relocation request could draw scrutiny from the league as it prepares to grow to 18 teams by 2030. The Sun, purchased by the Mohegan Tribe for $10 million in 2003, have appeared in the postseason 16 times but currently own the league’s worst record at 5-21. The sale underscores the sharp rise in WNBA franchise valuations, following recent expansion fees of about $250 million for incoming teams.
Celtics minority owner to buy WNBA's Connecticut Sun, with potential move to Boston https://t.co/qBjlQ6qvzC
WNBA growth surges as Connecticut Sun strike deal for record sale amid rising franchise valuations: report https://t.co/C1tsolHvuC
Report: Sun moving to Boston in record $325M deal https://t.co/kX5hxySJJl https://t.co/kX5hxySJJl