The push to bring the WNBA back to the city of Houston, where one of the league’s original franchises won four championships, is becoming more intense.
According to a new ESPN report, the Houston Rockets ownership group is in ‘substantive’ talks with the Connecticut Sun to purchase and relocate the franchise. Talks have been described as ‘positive,’ while Rockets ownership works on a purchase offer that is acceptable to the Sun. While an exclusivity agreement has not been signed, and a decision has not been made on the franchise’s, a formal offer has been discussed.
USA TODAY has reached out to the WNBA for comment.
News of the Rockets’ offer comes almost six months after WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert specifically called out Houston during a June 30 expansion team announcement for Detroit, Cleveland and Philadelphia. Houston did not receive a bid at the time after entering into the picture later in the process.
‘There are a variety of cities that obviously bid, and one of those I wanted to shout out because they have such a strong history in this league and they are a great ownership group, is Houston,’ Engelbert said at the time.’
Over the last several months, the Sun have explored options to ‘strategically invest in the team,’ including a potential sale. In August, reports surfaced that a group led by Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca had reached a deal to buy the Sun for a record $325 million and relocate the franchise to Boston. However, the WNBA reportedly blocked the deal, saying cities that applied for expansion first ‘have priority over Boston.’
Sun ownership then attempted to present multiple options to the WNBA in an attempt to salvage a deal to sell the team, including a plan that would allow the state of Connecticut to buy a stake in the team to keep the Sun there. According to the latest report from ESPN, there is a growing hope that Connecticut’s future can be determined before the start of the 2026 free agency period.
However, the date of free agency remains to be seen and cannot move forward until a new league CBA is in place. The WNBA and WNBA Players Association agreed to a January 9 deadline, but a recent vote to strike should talks continue as they are could further complicate negotiations.
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