Rockets owner in talks to turn Connecticut Sun into Houston Comets?
Houston could soon find a WNBA franchise. According to information from ESPNthe owner of Rocket, Tilman Fertittais involved in in-depth discussions with Connecticut Sun about a possible takeover… with, in the background, a move to Texas.
The exchanges were described as “positive” and Tilman Fertitta would revise his offer upwards, to a level that would now likely convince Sun. However, nothing is complete: no exclusivity clause has been signed for negotiations and no decision has yet been made on the future of the franchise.
The WNBA has never hidden its interest in returning to Houston. When the three-team expansion was announced in June, commissioner Cathy Engelbert even listed Houston and Tillman Fertitta as “next on the list.” A strong signal, at a time when the league is increasing the number of franchises supported by NBA owners.
Houston, not Boston?
Owned by the Mohegan Tribe since 2003 (the club then left Orlando), Sun has been exploring investment opportunities for more than a year. Houston was one of the takeover candidates, with an offer raised to $250 million, equivalent to the expansion fees recently paid by Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia.
At the beginning of July, a record contract worth 325 million was signed with the group led by Steve Pagliuca (and moving to Boston), however, was stopped by the VNBA, which reminded that the relocation is the responsibility of the league’s board of directors and that Boston it does not have priority over markets that have already gone through the expansion process.
In this case, the calendar weighs: the goal is actually to decide before the free election, while negotiations on a new collective agreement continue, with a deadline set for January 9. And in Houston, history says: the legendary Comets, four-time champions (1997-2000), remain a reference in the WNBA.
2025-12-21 12:07:00
