Basketball fans across Houston celebrated Wednesday night when the WNBA Board of Governors officially approved the revival of the Houston Comets through a sale of the Connecticut Sun to new team owner Tilman Fertitta. But the Sun’s move to Houston in 2027 was met by plenty of jeers from those on the East Coast.
News of the Sun’s sale and subsequent move was posted on the r/WNBA Reddit page on Wednesday evening. And while some celebrated the return of the WNBA’s first dynasty back in its original city, others cried foul over the impending lack of WNBA basketball in New England. “Wrong-‘ston,” one fan posted after news of the move broke. One simply wrote, “BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO,” while a different fan offered a short dissertation along with their disgust: “The W using collusion to force a below-market deal and strip one of the most loyal fanbases of its franchise shows that they care more about profits than the people.”
The people of New England are frustrated by the Sun’s move and upcoming name change. Do they have a fair gripe? The sale process of the Sun suggests so.
An ownership group led by Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca reached an agreement with the Sun to buy the franchise for $325 million in August 2025, a deal that would have moved the Sun two hours north from Uncasville, Connecticut, to Boston. That agreement was then blocked by the WNBA, which noted: “relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams.” The door then opened for Fertitta, whose initial bid for the Comets fell below $200 million, per a source familiar with the negotiations. Fertitta and the Sun then engaged in further talks, and Fertitta then purchased the Sun for $300 million in March.
The Sun would be on their way to Boston if not for the WNBA’s intervention. A move far from New England is now on the horizon instead, a bitter reality for basketball fans in the region.
“I feel for the Connecticut fans,” one Reddit commentor wrote Wednesday. “Disgraceful how this all went down.”
New England basketball fans will lament the Sun’s move to Houston for years to come. That’s little concern to those in the Bayou City, who will soon have a new basketball franchise to cheer for at Toyota Center each summer. The Comets are officially coming back, bringing with them a legacy of excellence from decades ago.