Connecticut Sun sale and relocation to Houston leaves Native fans concerned over cultural loss
When the Connecticut Sun played their final WNBA game at Mohegan Sun Arena last month, fans gathered to celebrate and grieve after the franchise was sold to a Houston-based ownership group and will relocate away from Uncasville.
The Sun, founded after the Mohegan Tribe bought the Orlando Miracle in 2003, were the first Native American-owned professional sports franchise and had brought WNBA basketball to Connecticut. The team’s departure ends a 24-season run in New England and has prompted the state of Connecticut to consider legal action over the sale.
The Mohegan Tribe’s bid for recognition and land restitution is outlined in its recent history: the tribe applied for federal recognition in 1978 and received it in 1994, and in 1995 the state returned 240 acres to be held in trust for the tribe. The Mohegan Sun Casino and arena sit on the reservation in Uncasville, named for Sachem Uncas, and the tribe reports it currently has more than 2,400 registered members. “We are sovereign nations and sovereignty is so important to us, and that’s something that’s been continually challenged and disputed and really disregarded throughout history,” said Natalie Welch, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee tribe and program director at Seattle University. Haley Kerwin, a Mohegan tribal member whose father works at the casino, said: “Before the casino was built, that land was also not ours. It was ours, and then it was taken away, it was something that we had to fight to get back.”
The franchise arrived as part of a WNBA restructuring after the league began in 1997 and the NBA divested direct control of teams in 2002. The Mohegan Tribe purchased the Orlando Miracle for $5m and converted the franchise into the Connecticut Sun, aided by a ready-made arena of just over 9,000 seats and an established regional fanbase. Val Ackerman, then the WNBA’s president, said: “We saw [having the first Native-owned team] as a positive, but that wasn’t why we did it. It was really the other factors. It was this very unique setup in a part of the country where we knew women’s basketball had a great following, and we knew they were great operators because they also have a lot of other events they bring into the building there.” The area’s existing college success was noted at the time: an hour north was UConn, which had recently won multiple national titles.
The Mohegan Tribe has shaped the team’s public identity and incorporated Mohegan culture into uniforms and game-day presentation. The Sun’s “Rebel Edition” jerseys in 2021 and subsequent versions in 2024 and 2026 used the Mohegan word “KEESUSK” on the front and featured waistband symbols for the four directions and dots representing the “Trail of Life.” Kerwin, who interned in the team’s content department in 2022 and 2023, said she took part in shaping that narrative and described ceremonial interactions at games, including presenting wampum to players. Point guard Charlisse Leger-Walker, an Indigenous New Zealander of Te Whakatōhea and Ngāti Porou heritage, said: “It just really hits a different part of my identity and connects me back to my roots, without it actually being my roots. Coming into the league and everything is so new, that [connection] almost feels familial in a sense. It’s something I’ll definitely remember throughout my career.”
Tribal leaders framed the sale as a measure to reduce debt and refocus on gaming operations, citing also the franchise’s lack of a dedicated practice facility. Connecticut officials explored alternatives, including a Hartford-based ownership bid and an effort to secure minority ownership and private investment to build a practice facility, but the WNBA rejected those proposals. In 2025 the tribe reached a deal with a Boston ownership group for $325m to keep the team in New England, but the league said that group had not bid for an expansion franchise and therefore could not complete the purchase. Instead, the tribe agreed to sell for $300m to a Houston ownership group led by Tilman Fertitta, the owner of the NBA’s Houston Rockets and Donald Trump’s ambassador to Italy, a move some politicians described as “rigged” and called for antitrust investigations.
On 24 September the Sun’s final home game became a focal point for fans, who celebrated a 95-81 victory over the Toronto Tempo; the team finished the season 11-33 and second to last in the standings. The franchise’s last season included tributes to longtime contributors such as Alyssa Thomas and 2021 MVP Jonquel Jones. Supporters said their allegiance was tied to the franchise’s independent, Native ownership and the fact revenue supported the Mohegan Tribe.
The ownership transfer will see the franchise relocate to Houston and resurrect the Comets identity under new owners, a change that many Native fans fear will sever the visible ties between the team and the Mohegan Tribe. “If I’m being honest, I just don’t want people to stop talking about them. I fear people are going to move on very quickly, and I will not be moving on any time soon, if ever,” Kerwin said.