In a significant move for women's basketball, Tilman Fertitta has acquired the Connecticut Sun WNBA franchise from the Mohegan Tribe for $300 million, setting a record for the league. The Sun will continue to compete in Connecticut for the upcoming season before transitioning to Houston in 2027, where they will be rebranded as the Houston Comets. This marks the return of the Comets to Houston, a city where they won the league’s first four championships from 1997 to 2000 and were disbanded in 2008.
The Mohegan Tribe, which purchased the team in 2003 when it was known as the Orlando Miracle, became the first Native American tribe to own a U.S. professional sports franchise. Prior to this transaction, the WNBA was entirely owned and operated by the NBA; the Mohegan Tribe’s ownership initiated a trend for independent ownership within the league. Fertitta has owned the NBA's Houston Rockets since 2017.
Both parties involved in the transaction are deeply connected to the gaming industry. The Mohegan Tribe operates the Mohegan Sun, a prominent tribal casino, while Fertitta owns the Golden Nugget casino chain and is the largest shareholder in Wynn Resorts. In Connecticut, sports betting is legal, in contrast to Texas, where it remains illegal.
Patrick Fertitta, Tilman Fertitta's son and alternate governor of the Rockets, expressed his family's excitement about reinstating the Houston Comets, stating, "We’re thrilled for the opportunity to bring the Houston Comets back to this incredible city” and believes it’s time to start a new era of Comets basketball.
The sale, while financially successful for the Mohegan Tribe, carries a note of sadness as the Sun has never won a championship, despite consistently making the playoffs and being the oldest franchise in the league without a title. Joe Soper, corresponding secretary for the Mohegan Tribal Council, highlighted the gratitude owed to fans for their support over the 23 seasons, emphasizing the impact the team and its players have made on the community.
Last September, Connecticut proposed an investment plan that would have given the state a minority stake in the Sun, with a reported bid surpassing $250 million. Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz noted that the state worked intensely to keep the team in Connecticut, although there is no public record indicating a revenue-sharing agreement between the Sun and the state, aside from the state receiving casino slot revenues from Mohegan Sun.
Connecticut is a prominent hub for women's basketball, with the University of Connecticut's women’s team having secured 12 NCAA national championships, most recently in 2025. Sun President Jen Rizzotti expressed regret regarding the team’s departure but focused on the upcoming season, marking the WNBA’s 30th anniversary with games scheduled from May to September. Rizzotti, a former Comets player, won two WNBA titles and a NCAA championship in 1995. She noted, "I hope that regardless of people’s feelings around this, they’ll remember that we had a really supportive ownership group that poured into the franchise for over two decades."
On the gaming front, the Mohegan Tribe has pursued expansion plans but faced challenges. Last year, they were one of eight bidders for a casino license in downstate New York, proposing a major mixed-use development in Manhattan. However, this ambitious project was rejected. Previously, the tribe sought to enter the Korean market with a $1.6 billion integrated resort but exited that venture after financial difficulties.
Fertitta has also been active in the gaming sector, reportedly in discussions regarding a potential acquisition of Caesars Entertainment, a rumor that has caused fluctuations in Caesars' stock prices. He holds a significant stake in Wynn Resorts, and SEC filings indicate he has recently sold various call options related to his investment. Should Fertitta acquire Caesars, it remains uncertain whether he would need to divest from Wynn or his Golden Nugget ownership. He also owns undeveloped land on the Las Vegas Strip that has been approved for a casino.
While engaged in various business dealings, Fertitta is currently serving as an ambassador to Italy and San Martino and has committed to avoiding conflicts of interest during his tenure.
