The Fertitta family is reportedly close to purchasing the Connecticut Sun and relocating the franchise to Houston as the Comets, with an announcement expected next week.
The Houston Rockets ownership group is closing in on bringing a WNBA team back to the city. The Fertittas are buying the Connecticut Sun and relocating the franchise to Houston. An announcement is expected to come as soon as next week, according to PaperCity. PaperCite described the deal as "unofficially done."
The team is expected to be rebranded as the Houston Comets. It would pay homage to the classic Comets, one of the most decorated franchises in WNBA history. The Comets won the first four WNBA championships from 1997 to 2000 before folding in 2008. The team's first season in Houston is expected to be in 2027.
The plan is for the Comets to share Toyota Center with the Rockets. The move will also help the WNBA team by gaining access to the Rockets' front office, analytics, and organizational resources.
The WNBA is coming off its biggest season yet, with record viewership and a significant amount of fans gravitating to the next generation of stars like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese. A new seven-year CBA has also been locked in, with the salary cap climbing to $7 million per team. Houston is entering that window.
Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, who is currently serving as U.S. Ambassador to Italy, has long talked about bringing women's basketball back to Houston. He views the move as being for the community rather than about a return on investment. However, a WNBA franchise in Houston should thrive.
The possibility of the Sun relocating to Houston surfaced in 2024 when Fertitta was first interested. The Fertittas' offer to purchase the Sun is $300 million, which exceeds the $250 million threshold the WNBA has set for expansion teams.
Houston has been without a WNBA team since the first Comets folded in 2008. This fills that void. It also gives the country's fourth-largest city a women's sports franchise worthy of its size.
The WNBA is set to have 15 teams in 2026 after a successful inaugural season for the Golden State Valkyries in 2025, with the addition of the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire this upcoming season. The league has expansion franchises coming to Philadelphia (2028), Cleveland (2029), and Detroit (2030).
While Houston will not get an expansion draft like the other incoming teams, the team will be eligible to land the No. 1 pick in the collegiate draft if it wins the lottery.