Rockets' Ownership in Substantive Talks for Purchase, Relocation of Connecticut Sun

The Houston Rockets and Houston Comets have always been intertwined. At least when the Comets were around.

Then Rockets owner Les Alexander owned both teams in the ‘90s and executive Carroll Dawson pioneered the operations for both teams during the same span.

The Comets instantly became one of the most dominant dynasties in all of sports. They won four consecutive championships in their first full years of existence, something no other team can claim in any sport.

Unsurprisingly, they’ve produced a litany of Hall of Famers. Tina Thompson, Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper, and coach Van Chancellor.

However, their run was short-lived, as Alexander sold the team in 2007 to Hilton Koch, who put the team up for sale just one year later.

When no investors expressed interest, the WNBA took over the team and ceased operations , sending players off to other teams.

Since then, the city of Houston has been without a WNBA franchise.

That may be changing.

According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Alexa Philippou, the Rockets ownership is in “substantive talks” over the purchase and relocation of the Connecticut Sun.

Chron.com’s Michael Shapiro noted the “expected sale” of the Sun to a group led by Tilman Fertitta, adding that the Comets should be back by 2027.

According to Shapiro, the sale should be completed in early 2026 and the Comets’ first season will be in 2027. Like the Rockets, the team will play at the Toyota Center and practice at the Rockets’ facility.

The final bid is north of $250 million, which Fertitta increased to get the deal done.

The Houston market has been one that the WNBA has had on its radar, which is unsurprising considering the history and success of the Comets.

Fertitta has previously pursued an expansion WNBA team in the past, but was rebuffed, for cities like Philadelphia, Detroit and Cleveland.

The process of Fertitta landing the Sun has been a murky and controversial one, to put it politely.

The Mohegan Tribe had reached a deal in principle back in August that would send the franchise to Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca for $325 million, which would’ve been the highest amount ever paid for a women’s professional team.

Pagliuca had plans of moving the franchise to Boston, of course.

The league intervened, noting that relocation efforts are to be made by the WNBA’s Board of Governors instead of individual ballclubs.

Furthermore, cities that had previously been a part of expansion efforts (like Houston) were higher in the pecking order.

Shortly thereafter, the league offered $250 million to buy the Sun, clearing the way to send the franchise to one of it’s desired markets.