State Attorney General William Tong is demanding records from the WNBA as questions mount about the potential sale of the Connecticut Sun and whether the league is trying to move the franchise out of the state.
In a letter sent Thursday to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, Tong requested copies of the league’s operating agreement, the Sun’s membership agreement, league rules and regulations, and any valuations or offers involving the team. He also asked for a meeting with league leadership.
“I am troubled by recent reports in the press that the WNBA may be wrongfully blocking a sale of the Connecticut Sun that would keep the team in Connecticut in a manner that may be anticompetitive and may violate state and federal law,” Tong wrote.
The Mohegan Tribal Nation, the owner of the Mohegan Sun casino, purchased the team in 2003 and relocated it to the arena in its casino complex in Uncasville. The tribe paid $10 million and is entertaining offers for the team that exceed $300 million.
Tong said he is concerned by reports that the league may be pushing to buy the team itself “at a price tens of millions of dollars below market value” and later resell it to new ownership in another city as part of an expansion strategy.
“The state is the epicenter and heart of women’s basketball,” Tong wrote. “There would be no WNBA — and no worldwide growth in the popularity of women’s basketball — without the players, coaches, and dedicated fanbase in and from Connecticut.”
The Sun, which relocated from Orlando, Florida, have been part of the WNBA since 2003 and have twice reached the league finals, most recently in 2022. The team, however, completed its 2025 season Wednesday with an 88-72 loss to the Atlanta Dream and will miss the playoffs with an 11-33 record.
Tong said losing the franchise would be “devastating” for Connecticut’s economy and basketball community.
“Connecticut will fight hard for our players, coaches and fans, and we will take all steps necessary to keep the team in Connecticut where it belongs,” he said.
