Sun Sets on Sports: The CT Sun are Leaving

        In 2003, the Mohegan tribe bought a financially struggling women’s basketball team, the Orlando Miracle, and brought it to Connecticut. The newly-named “Sun” became the state’s third ever major professional sporting organization after the Hartford Blues football team and Hartford Whalers hockey team (which left in 1997). In their 23 years as a WNBA team, the Sun never won a championship, but were runners-up four times, including finishing one win away from the title in 2004 (against Seattle) and 2019 (against Washington). 

        Connecticut began to struggle on the court after a successful 2024, losing 75% of their games in 2025 and 2026, and a small nine-thousand-capacity stadium and increasing WNBA infrastructure requirements put financial strains on the team. A group led by a minority owner in the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Boston Celtics offered $325 million to buy the Sun and relocate them to the same city, but the WNBA rejected the sale due to Boston not being high on the list for a team. However, when the owner of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, from a city with an existing fanbase due to a former WNBA team (the Houston Comets until 2008), offered to buy the Sun and relocate them to Space City, the deal was quickly approved, making 2026 the final season for Connecticut’s women’s basketball team. 

        So what were the reasons that Hopkins believes are the reason for the Sun organization relocating to Space City? Makana Wallenta ’29 echoed the popular opinion that Houston also brings more established facilities and media coverage for a WNBA squad. Chloe Gomez ’32 said that while Dallas already has a team, “Texas is a bigger and, in the eyes of the nation, more relevant state than Connecticut.” Eleanor Christensen ’32 voiced a similar opinion: “The WNBA is getting big fast, and they want to keep growing. I have to agree that Houston can do that for them…Connecticut just isn't big enough for the Sun.” 

        Not only do students believe Texas is a better fit, but they also pointed out the fact that Connecticut isn’t working for the Sun. Vivian Kelley ’29 mentioned that when she “went to a Connecticut Sun game, not all the seats were filled and the excitement that comes with a sports game wasn't there.” In fact, in a recent school-wide polling, over two-thirds (68.4%) of those polled said they do not follow the Sun at all and over one-third (34.2%) reported not knowing enough about the team to feel disappointed in its relocation. 

        However, students also noted that Connecticut’s sports identity is unable to thrive due to its location. Only 44.7% of Hopkins students view the Sun as a huge loss for Connecticut and its sports identity. Maanya Pathak ’28 said, “It kind of makes our state irrelevant other than UConn basketball, which is kind of sad since Connecticut fans are forced to choose a team from other states. We kind of lose our identity as a unified state all fighting for one thing.” Stella Alderman ‘31 referred to the state’s past failures: “Connecticut has already lost a major-league team before and also multiple minor-league teams. I think it's hard for Connecticut to maintain a sports team because it is smack between New York and Boston, which have major sports and are just major cities in general.” Liam Harris ’30 agreed, saying  “Connecticut is a much weaker region to be honest, for sports we are in one of the least optimal spots.” Christensen summed up the sports market situation: “There are more people in New York that will show up at these games, because there's a good chance that they live in the near vicinity of the arena. That's not how it works in Connecticut. Sports is a tough business, and clearly, too tough for us.”