The spokesperson for a would-be ownership group looking to bring the WNBA to Boston says the Mohegan Tribe wants to keep the Connecticut Sun in the state.
AJ Gerritson, spokesperson for Boston Women’s Basketball Partners, told the Boston Globe last week that the Mohegan Tribe indicated in conversations that it would be seeking owners who would keep the team in Connecticut.
“In terms of the path forward for us, it looks more and more like it’s going to be expansion,” Gerritson told the Globe.
The Boston group, which includes former NBA player Michael Carter-Williams and actor Donnie Wahlberg, did not submit a bid for a franchise during the latest round of WNBA expansion. Many took that as a signal that the most likely scenario was the Sun’s eventual relocation to the city. Gerritson told the Globe that the group didn’t submit a bid “purely because of timing.”
“Since then, we have worked tirelessly to meet and exceed all standards for expansion,” Gerritson said.
Asked for comment, Mohegan Tribe leadership told The Courant in a statement:
“Mohegan continues to evaluate all strategic opportunities in the best interest of the CT Sun, MTGA (Mohegan Tribe Gaming Authority) and WNBA. The CT Sun has had monumental changes over the past 18 months and Mohegan is very proud of the success, increased interest and what remains to be such incredible community impact off the court as well. The WNBA overall has also seen immense growth in viewership and interest. These are fantastic trends for what is an amazing sport, with extremely dedicated and talented women.”
The WNBA announced the addition of three expansion franchises, in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia on June 30, bringing the league to 18 teams. The Cleveland team will begin play in 2028, Detroit in 2029,…