Alexa Philippou
Connecticut Sun’s president Jennifer Rizzotti said on Tuesday that the team’s ownership group “explored all the options to invest strategically in the team”, including a potential sale.
The news was reported on Monday by Sportico, who said that the franchise hired the Allen & Co. investment bank to conduct the investigation and that “the wait is a control sale and a probably re -agreed of the franchise”.
The Sun has played in Uncasville, Connecticut, since 2003, when the Mohegan tribe bought the franchise for 10 million dollars and moved the team to Orlando, Florida.
Mohegan was the first nonba owner of a WNBA team, and the franchise became the first of the League to make a profit.
The WNBA has not been moving a team since 2017, when the San Antonio stars moved to Las Vegas under a new property and became the AS.
In a statement provided in ESPN, Mohegan’s leaders said: “As an organization, Mohegan constantly assess strategic options, investments and capital expenses. The CT Sun has had monumental changes in the last 18 months and Mohegan is very proud of success, increased interest and what remains to be an incredible community.
“Mohegan remains attached to the continuous success of the team which includes the search for all the strategic options in the best interest of CT Sun, MTGA and WNBA.”
Rizzotti described Mohegan’s decision of the decision of the “owners of responsible companies” and that it is more to be coherent on the way in which they assess all their companies, the Connecticut Sun being one of them. “”
The president of Sun added that there had been no decision made, nor a calendar defined for one, “apart from that, they want to make sure that they do what is best for the organization as well as the WNBA.”
Rizzotti has confirmed “all the options”, including the potential sale of selling minority stakes in the team like the Storm of Seattle recently to raise capital that helped finance their new installation of practice, remain on the table. Other possibilities include a franchise sale where the team remains in the same city or the state, similar to what happened with Atlanta’s dream in 2021.
When asked if Mohegan could always support a competitor of the WNBA, Rizzotti said yes.
“I have been here for four years. I think the tribe can support what they want, whatever the decision they make,” she said. “They do everything in first class. They were proud of customer experience and attention to detail and real investments in the right way.
“If the tribe decides that they want to have this team, they are also competitive, I think, like any ownership group in the League.”
Mohegan’s decision occurs while WNBA is experiencing rapid growth and ownership groups should double on investments, including in players. This was manifested mainly in the dedicated practice of construction franchises, creating a battle on the league scale between the teams.
Connecticut is one of the teams that has still not announced plans for a training center, players currently practicing Mohegan Sun Arena – their home court of 8,910 capacities – or the tribal community of Mohegan and the government center, which is also open to members of the tribe.
The sun was one of the most successful WNBA teams on the ground, making the playoffs in 16 of their 22 seasons in Connecticut and with six consecutive appearances in the semi-finals. But 2025 should be a new era for the franchise after losing all its starting training this offseason due to the free agency or the trades.
Rizzotti said that the franchise “has been a desirable place to play” and that “there is a reason why we have been good for two decades”, feeling that the turnover he knew this offseason was more a brip than a recurring problem.
“We are going to pay this franchise as long as it is here,” said Rizzotti. “And if that does not end up being the case, then we will worry about it when the time comes.”
Although the long -term status of the franchise remains uncertain, the team will focus on the preparation of the coming season, which starts at home on Sunday against the mystics of Washington.
Rizzotti and coach Rachid Meziane echoes a shared effort to control what the team can control.
“They have their work and our work is to put the best product on the ground,” said Tina Charles, who was drafted n ° 1 by the sun in 2010 before returning to play this offseason for the organization. “We hope they will do their job and make the right decision that will benefit the organization and players and coaches and staff in the future.”
