Is the Sun setting on Connecticut thanks to Caitlin Clark? Memories of Whalers departure loom
Celtics stay alive. Warriors go home. Full NFL schedule released
Good morning, all!
Connecticut loves to bill itself as the women’s basketball capital of the world, but it is about to face a stern test. When the website Sportico reported this week the owners of the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun were hiring a firm to explore a sale of the franchise, reverberations were felt from eastern Connecticut to the northwest corner.
The Sun, owned by the Mohegan Sun Tribe, play in the 9,000 seat arena at the casino in Uncasville, CT. When the franchise began in the early 2000’s, the arena was considered state-of-the-art and just the perfect capacity for the upstart league. Now the place is viewed as outdated with practice facilities even worse. The Sun, whose president is Connecticut basketball icon Jennifer Rizzoti, announced on Wednesday it has sold out all season tickets for the upcoming season. That may not be enough to save the franchise.
Over the last two years, particularly with the emergence of Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, who draws capacity crowds and huge television ratings wherever she and the Fever play, the WNBA’s popularity has exploded. When the Sun played a game in Boston last season against the Fever at TD Bank Arena - home of the Celtics - the place sold out.
A group has emerged in Boston interested in buying an existing franchise or getting an expansion one. There is no way the WNBA would permit teams in Boston and Uncasville. Meanwhile, with the value of franchises exploding and a potential battle with the league’s players association looming, now is perhaps the best time to sell a franchise.
The bottom line, thanks to Clark and the league’s massive popularity, the only way the franchise remains in the Nutmeg State is for the team to find local owners with deep pockets, move its games to the larger XL Center in downtown Hartford, while building a top notch practice facility in the Hartford region. I say the chances of that happening are slim.
For many, this brings back the nightmare of the NHL’s Hartford Whalers picking up and moving to North Carolina. In reality, however, because of market size and an outdated infrastructure, the sun maybe setting on the Connecticut Sun.
Here are some other DAN ON SPORTS top stories for Thursday, May 15, 2025:
Celtics stay alive
Warriors ousted by Timberwolves
Season ends for Golden Knights
Panthers take command
NFL releases full schedule
Chiefs vs. Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day
Golf’s second major starts today
NFL could impact NBA All-Star game
Thank you for subscribing.
DAN