Boston Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca may have made waves with his record-breaking purchase of the Connecticut Sun, but the WNBA quickly made it clear: the team isn’t moving anywhere.
The Boston Globe first reported that Pagliuca’s group bought the Sun for $325 million—a new high mark for a WNBA franchise. On top of that, the group reportedly plans to invest another $100 million into building a training facility in Boston, hinting at ambitions to relocate the team to TD Garden.
But not so fast.
Soon after the news broke, the WNBA issued a firm response to The Athletic, reminding everyone that relocation isn’t up to team owners.
“Relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams,” the league told Gary Washburn of the Globe. “As part of our most recent expansion process…nine additional cities also applied for WNBA teams and remain under active consideration.”
That expansion includes new teams in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia—set to debut in 2028, 2029, and 2030 respectively—plus upcoming squads in Toronto and Portland joining next year. No Boston group applied during that window, meaning the city isn’t currently in the mix.
The league also noted that Celtics executive Bill Chisholm has expressed interest in bringing a WNBA team to Boston in the future, but for now, priority remains with cities that were part of the 2025 expansion application process.
Despite the pushback, Boston remains a basketball hotbed, and the WNBA clearly sees potential for growth there. But rather than relocating an existing franchise, the league appears committed to building from scratch in new markets.
LOOK: WNBA Crowd Erupts As Baby Takes First Steps During Aces-Lynx On-Court Race Game
While the Las Vegas Aces got blown out by 53 points against the Minnesota Lynx, the night’s most heartwarming moment came during halftime.
The baby race—a classic WNBA fan favorite—delivered big time. One baby girl, midway through the crawl, got up, found her footing, and walked straight to her mom. It was her first steps ever—caught on the big screen during a pro game.
The crowd erupted. Forget the score. That moment won the night.
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through sabelreyes22@gmail.com. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
