Deal With State Officials To Keep Sun In Connecticut Nearly Dead

Despite the state of Connecticut fighting hard to keep the Connecticut Sun in the state, their efforts may fall short as the deal with the Mohegan Tribe may nearly be dead.

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It’s no secret that the Connecticut Sun are facing uncertainty surrounding the potential sale of the team. With multiple buyers coming forward with interest, it seems the current owner, the Mohegan Tribe, are narrowing it down to the frontrunners.

The state of Connecticut, despite pushback from residents, worked hard to bring forth its own deal to keep the team in the state — a deal that now seems dead. 

It seems simple, the team has a willing buyer, they have a willing seller, so let’s make a deal. But one thing is still standing in the way despite a solid framework for the state to purchase the team. That roadblock is because of opposition from the league, a source told CT Insider. 

During that same interview, the source said,

“"We’ve worked really hard to try to go ahead and get the deal," a person familiar with the talks said, "it’s been many months… It really just does not feel like what we would be able to submit to them would be acceptable to the WNBA."

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are ongoing but the deal led by the administration of Gov. Ned Lamont and the Mohegan Tribe seems to be a solid one that would keep the Sun in the state, so why the resistance from the league? 

Pushback From The League May Not Allow Connecticut State To Purchase The Sun

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Well, the pushback stems from the league wanting to expand. They believe in pushing the WNBA into a larger market and therefore moving the team to an entirely new location. The league also believes they could get higher expansion fees from new owners.

The WNBA itself has offered to buy the team for $250 million, an offer rejected by the Mohegan Tribe, due to them believing that price isn't high enough. The deal with the state, while it’s not a higher amount of money, would allow for the state to acquire a minority stake in the team, which would keep the team in Connecticut.

While things still hang in limbo, the latest update on the plan is that the state, along with private investors, would join forces to buy "up to 30%" of the team, the sources said. The team is currently valued at $325 million, making any offer so far fall short of the program's perceived value. The state is prepared to offer around $100 million to buy a minority stake in the franchise. 

Despite the ongoing turmoil surrounding the future of the program, the Connecticut Sun is still set to play in Connecticut at the Mohegan Sun Arena through 2026.

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