Blumenthal To WNBA: Back Off On CT Sun's Plans

HARTFORD, CT — With a full-court press underway to keep the Connecticut Sun in Connecticut and New England, a U.S. senator from Connecticut is now involved in the fray.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., on Monday accused the WNBA of interfering in the Mohegan Sun's negotiations with potential buyers of the Connecticut Sun WNBA franchise, amid a strong movement to move the team to Hartford.

Currently, the Sun — a relocated franchise from Orlando in the early 2000s — play their home games in the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville at the Mohegan Sun Casino there.

In a letter, Blumenthal sent to the WNBA, the member of the Senate Judiciary Committee accused the league of trying to sabotage negotiations between the Mohegan Tribe and potential ownership groups in Connecticut and New England.

"After the Mohegan Tribe entertained offers to sell the Sun, the WNBA used its league governance powers to block proposals that would keep the team in New England, instead seeking to move it thousands of miles from its fan base to cities such as Cleveland or Houston," wrote Blumenthal.

"Unwilling to relent from its opposition, the WNBA then sought to strong-arm the Mohegan Tribe with a $250 million offer to purchase the team itself – far below previously disclosed $325 million offers – in order to control the sale for its own purposes."

With the Mohegan Sun mulling over offers from a Boston-based group linked to the Boston Celtics and a Connecticut-based group, including the State of Connecticut, seeking to put the team in Hartford, Blumenthal urged the WNBA to refrain from any interference.

In his letter, Blumenthal warns the WNBA that such interference could violate federal antitrust laws.

“Any further attempts by the WNBA to use its considerable governance and market power over the Connecticut Sun to limit or dictate negotiations with the state of Connecticut could be an unreasonable restraint of trade and interference with the market that would violate federal antitrust laws,” Blumenthal writes.

“As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over antitrust matters, I am closely monitoring the WNBA’s actions and will demand investigations and enforcement actions from the appropriate federal authorities if it takes any step to hinder or constrain Connecticut’s negotiations.”

In a letter of support for the Sun staying in Connecticut to the WNBA, Blumenthal said Connecticut and New England have historically displayed support for women's basketball.

He said the state initiative to keep the Sun in Connecticut makes staying in the Nutmeg State a viable option.

"Proud of the Sun’s storied history of community involvement, this month, the state of Connecticut has stepped in to resolve the matter and proposed to acquire minority ownership in the team under an arrangement that would split time between its current home, Uncasville, and Hartford," wrote Blumenthal to the WNBA.

"Connecticut’s proposal would value the team at more than the WNBA’s offer and, with the proposal to build a new practice facility and play in PeoplesBank Arena, ensure that the Sun could easily grow further and achieve an even greater attendance than the 2024 league average."

Blumenthal said, "Hartford has already demonstrated the ability to draw fans, notably hosting both the UConn men’s and women’s basketball games, two of the most successful college basketball programs in the country, as well as NCAA Tournament games."

He said any push to send the Sun to Cleveland or Houston "would leave New England without a WNBA team, and disrupt the stability and growth the Sun have achieved over the years in the state, which has made it the successful franchise that it has become."

Houston had an inaugural WNBA franchise called the Houston Comets from 1997 to 2008, when the league disbanded the franchise due to ownership/financial issues, despite the Comets winning the first four titles in league history.

Blumenthal's involvement comes as state and Hartford officials continue to push for the Sun to eventually play their home games at Hartford's PeoplesBank Arena (formerly the XL Center and Hartford Civic Center).

From Sept. 5: 'Efforts Grow To Keep WNBA's Sun In Connecticut'

From Aug. 29: 'Hartford Makes Push To Keep WNBA's Sun In Connecticut'