The Connecticut Sun are leaving Connecticut after 24 seasons and moving to Houston, where the franchise will become the Houston Comets beginning with the 2027 WNBA season.
The move follows the Mohegan Tribe’s decision to sell the Sun to Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta. Fertitta’s company agreed to purchase the franchise for $300 million, and the WNBA and NBA boards of governors unanimously approved both the sale and relocation in May 2026. [WNBA][Mohegan]
The Sun played their final game in Connecticut on September 24, defeating the Toronto Tempo 95-81 at Mohegan Sun Arena. The relocation ends an era that began when the former Orlando Miracle moved to Connecticut in 2003, while simultaneously bringing back one of the most famous names in women’s basketball.
Why Are The Connecticut Sun Moving?
The immediate reason is ownership. The Mohegan Tribe, which had owned the franchise since purchasing the Orlando Miracle and moving it to Connecticut in 2003, decided to sell the team.
Mohegan announced in March 2026 that it had reached an agreement with the Fertitta family after what it described as a process of evaluating strategic opportunities for the franchise. Fertitta Entertainment, which also operates the NBA’s Houston Rockets, bought the Sun with the stated intention of relocating them to Houston. [Mohegan]
The WNBA and NBA boards of governors unanimously approved the transaction on May 13. The sale subsequently closed for $300 million, with Mohegan receiving $150 million at closing and the remainder due by the end of 2026. [NBA][Mohegan]
That meant 2026 became a farewell season for the Sun rather than the beginning of another long-term cycle in Connecticut.
Why Did Tilman Fertitta Buy The Connecticut Sun?
The purchase gives Fertitta Entertainment a WNBA franchise that can share a market and major-league infrastructure with the Houston Rockets.
The returning Comets will play at Toyota Center, the Rockets’ home arena, beginning in 2027. Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti said after the sale was approved that being associated with an organization possessing Houston’s resources and infrastructure could have significant benefits for the players and basketball staff. [AP]
For the Fertitta family, however, the acquisition also restores a franchise identity with unusually deep roots in Houston.
“Houston has a proud championship history in the WNBA, with banners from the Comets’ four historic championship seasons still hanging in the rafters of Toyota Center,” Rockets alternate governor Patrick Fertitta said when the purchase agreement was announced. [Houston Comets]
Are The Houston Comets Really Coming Back?
Yes. The Connecticut Sun will be rebranded as the Houston Comets for the 2027 season.
This is not technically the revival of the original Comets franchise as a separate expansion team. The WNBA franchise currently operating as the Connecticut Sun is relocating to Houston and assuming the historic Comets identity.
The league officially described the transaction as the sale and relocation of the Connecticut Sun. The new ownership group, meanwhile, describes the move as the return of the Houston Comets. [WNBA][Houston Comets]
What Happened To The Original Houston Comets?
The original Houston Comets were one of the WNBA’s eight founding franchises when the league began play in 1997.
They immediately became the league’s first dynasty, winning the first four WNBA championships from 1997 through 2000. The teams featured some of the most important players in women’s basketball history, including Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson, with Van Chancellor serving as head coach.
Over 12 seasons, Houston reached the playoffs nine times. [Houston Comets]
The original Comets eventually encountered ownership and financial problems. Rockets owner Les Alexander sold the team in 2007, and new owner Hilton Koch was unable to secure the franchise’s long-term financial future. The WNBA took control of the club in 2008 while seeking another owner, but no suitable buyer emerged.
The league ultimately shut down the Comets after the 2008 season.
That means Houston will have gone 18 WNBA seasons without the Comets before the name returns in 2027.
Is This The Same Franchise As The Original Houston Comets?
No. There is an important distinction between the team identity and the underlying franchise.
The original Houston Comets franchise operated from 1997 through 2008 and then ceased operations.
The team arriving in Houston has a different franchise lineage:
1999-2002: Orlando Miracle
2003-2026: Connecticut Sun
Beginning in 2027: Houston Comets
The Mohegan Tribe purchased the Miracle in 2003 and moved the franchise from Orlando to Uncasville, Connecticut. The organization became the Connecticut Sun and spent the next 24 seasons in the state. [AP]
So the 2027 Comets will inherit the Connecticut Sun’s active WNBA franchise while adopting the name and branding associated with Houston’s original championship team.
Why Didn’t The WNBA Just Give Houston An Expansion Team?
Houston had pursued a WNBA expansion franchise, but the league chose other markets during its expansion process.
The WNBA awarded teams to Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia as part of an expansion that will bring the league to 18 franchises. Houston therefore did not initially receive one of those expansion slots. [WNBA]
The Sun’s availability created a different path. Instead of waiting for another expansion round, Fertitta could purchase an existing WNBA franchise and relocate it.
That also means Houston does not need to build a roster through an expansion draft. The contracts and basketball assets belonging to the Connecticut franchise transfer with the team. The Sun’s own FAQ states that Houston will retain the rights to player and coaching contracts when the franchise is handed over. [Connecticut Sun]
Could The Connecticut Sun Have Stayed In Connecticut?
There were efforts to keep the franchise in the region.
Connecticut officials proposed a plan that would have kept the Sun in the state while moving them from Uncasville to Hartford. Former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry also pursued the franchise with a proposal that reportedly involved relocating it to Boston. [AP]
Ultimately, Mohegan selected the Fertitta family’s bid, which included relocation to Houston.
The $300 million transaction represented an enormous increase in WNBA franchise valuations compared with earlier periods in league history and underscored how much the economics of women’s professional basketball have changed.
What Happens To Connecticut Sun Players?
The roster does not disappear when the team changes cities.
Houston takes over the existing franchise, so players whose contractual rights belong to Connecticut will become part of the Houston organization unless they are subsequently traded, released, become free agents or otherwise change teams under WNBA roster rules.
The same principle applies to coaches under contract. The Sun specifically told fans that Houston would hold the rights to existing player and coaching contracts when the franchise transfers. [Connecticut Sun]
There will also be continuity in the front office. Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti and general manager Morgan Tuck are relocating with the franchise and will retain their positions in Houston. [ESPN]
Where Will The Houston Comets Play?
The Comets will play their home games at Toyota Center beginning with the 2027 WNBA season. [Houston Comets]
That puts the WNBA team in the same arena as the Houston Rockets and gives the organization access to an established NBA arena and business infrastructure.
Toyota Center also provides a symbolic connection to the old Comets. The championship banners from Houston’s four WNBA titles remain displayed in the building. [Houston Comets]
How Successful Were The Connecticut Sun?
Connecticut never won a WNBA championship, but the Sun were one of the league’s most consistently competitive franchises for much of their existence.
The team recorded 15 winning seasons and reached the WNBA Finals four times: 2004, 2005, 2019 and 2022. [WNBA]
The Sun also became closely connected with Connecticut’s women’s basketball culture and UConn. Among the prominent former UConn players who spent time with the organization were Rebecca Lobo, Asjha Jones, Morgan Tuck and current team president Jennifer Rizzotti.
The relocation is particularly notable because the Sun had become Connecticut’s only major professional sports franchise.
When Did The Connecticut Sun Play Their Final Home Game?
The Sun played their final game at Mohegan Sun Arena on September 24, 2026, against the expansion Toronto Tempo.
Connecticut ended its run in the state with a victory, defeating Toronto 95-81. The game included tributes to the franchise’s history and an emotional farewell for fans and members of the organization. [WNBA]
The finale completed 24 seasons of Connecticut Sun basketball at a venue that had been the franchise’s primary home since its arrival from Orlando in 2003.
When Will The Houston Comets Start Playing?
The Houston Comets will begin play in the 2027 WNBA season.
They will not be an expansion team and will not start from scratch. Houston will inherit the Connecticut franchise’s roster rights, basketball operations and place in the WNBA while adopting the Comets identity. [WNBA]
The result is an unusual combination of relocation and revival: Connecticut is losing the Sun after more than two decades, while Houston is regaining the name of a team that helped establish the WNBA and won the league’s first four championships.
