Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam is mobilizing public support against the WNBA after reports surfaced that the league plans to block a $325 million deal that would keep the Connecticut Sun in the state and relocate the team to Hartford.
At a press conference Thursday outside the newly renovated PeoplesBank Arena, Arulampalam called on residents to pressure the WNBA through phone calls and social media campaigns, describing the league’s position as “anti-competitive behavior.”
“You’ve seen the reports, and we are saying that it is time to fight back,” Arulampalam said. “It’s a ridiculous look for the WNBA to say, essentially, to Connecticut: ‘No matter what you do, you can’t have a team in Connecticut.’”
Earlier this year, Mohegan Sun announced that it was exploring options to sell the Connecticut Sun, which it has owned since 2003.
The team currently plays its home games at the 10,000-seat Mohegan Sun Arena in Montville.
Arulampalam said the team should stay in Connecticut and play its games at the PeoplesBank Arena.
“You cannot steal the Connecticut Sun from us, because we’re going to put up a hell of a fight to keep them right here in the state of Connecticut,” he said. “I’m asking you to join me, Connecticut residents, in the fight to put pressure on the league. We have investors who are willing to bring this team here to Hartford, to keep them in Connecticut, in the basketball capital of the world, and the league should appreciate and value that.”
A Boston-based group and several Connecticut investors have proffered competing eight-figure bids for the team, but according to recent reports, the WNBA — which has final say over the deal — prefers to move the team elsewhere.
PeoplesBank Arena, with a capacity of over 16,000, would rank among the largest venues in the WNBA, city officials said.
