Fertitta Family Bringing Connecticut Sun to Houston in 2027

The WNBA is officially on its way back to Houston, and this time the city is getting a proven contender.

The Connecticut Sun have been sold to the Fertitta family in a deal valued at a record $300 million, according to multiple reports. The franchise will finish out the 2026 season in Connecticut before relocating to Houston for the 2027 campaign. The team is expected to play its home games at Toyota Center and operate under the umbrella of Rockets ownership.

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For Houston, the move revives a rich piece of basketball history. The city has been without a WNBA team since the Houston Comets folded in 2008. The Comets were one of the league’s original franchises and won four straight championships from 1997 to 2000. Their early dominance helped define the WNBA’s first era and built a strong women’s basketball base in the region.

League leadership has long viewed Houston as unfinished business. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert had previously singled out Houston and Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta as “up next” when discussing future WNBA markets. Fertitta’s group had earlier pursued an expansion team but lost out to bids from Philadelphia, Cleveland and Detroit. Acquiring the Sun became the clearest path to restore the league’s presence in the Bayou City.

The Sun arrive as one of the WNBA’s most stable on-court products. The franchise has been in Connecticut since 2003 and has reached multiple Finals while maintaining a reputation for tough, defense-first basketball. Bringing that core to a major market with NBA infrastructure could elevate both the club and the league.

Houston now has time to get ready. The 2026 season will serve as a farewell tour in Connecticut and a runway for the franchise’s transition south. On deck are questions about branding, front-office structure and how the organization will connect with fans who still remember the Comets. What is clear is that the WNBA’s return gives Houston another big-league stage and adds fresh energy to a city that considers itself a basketball town at every level.

SOURCE | ESPN

Houston Comets Back? Fertitta Family Bringing Connecticut Sun to Houston in 2027 (Sources) was originally published on theboxhouston.com