Might the Connecticut Solar transfer to Boston?

The Connecticut Solar are one of the profitable franchises within the WNBA. They’ve gained at a better clip than any workforce since transferring to Uncasville, Conn., in 2003. They’ve made the playoffs 16 instances in 22 seasons and have performed within the WNBA Finals thrice — however have by no means gained the title.

They appear primed to make the most of the large surge within the reputation of the WNBA, proper? Possibly, however it would possibly occur in a method that sees the franchise go away Connecticut.

Earlier this month, information broke that the Solar’s house owners had employed funding financial institution Allen & Co. to look into “all choices to strategically spend money on the workforce.”

Merely put: They’re exploring if they’ll get extra buyers or if it may be extra helpful to promote the workforce, which might open the Solar to relocation.

The Solar have one of the distinctive possession buildings in skilled sports activities. The franchise is owned by the Mohegan tribe, which bought the workforce greater than 20 years in the past when it was about to fold in Orlando.

However it prices much more to be aggressive within the WNBA than it used to, and an possession group that match nicely 20 years in the past would possibly get boxed out in 2025.

After many years of underinvestment within the WNBA, the league is rapidly turning into an arms race.

Groups are constructing out their amenities at a speedy clip to fulfill the second. The defending champion New York Liberty introduced in March plans to construct an $80 million follow facility in Brooklyn. The growth Golden State Valkyries launched this season with a 31,800-square-foot facility in close by Oakland, Calif.

The Solar, alternatively, went viral in the course of the playoffs final 12 months once they needed to share their follow courtroom with a baby’s birthday celebration.

As funding within the WNBA grows quickly, can the tribe and the Solar sustain?

ESPN stories the tribe helped the Solar turn into the primary WNBA franchise to show a revenue.

“I’ve been right here for 4 years. I feel the tribe can assist no matter they need, no matter determination they make,” Solar president Jennifer Rizzotti instructed ESPN. “They do every thing top notch. They pleasure themselves on visitor expertise and a spotlight to element and true funding in the suitable methods.

“If the tribe decides they need to personal this workforce, they’re as aggressive, I feel, as any possession group within the league.”

However Sportico stories the expectation for the Solar is a sale “and sure franchise relocation.”

The place would possibly the workforce go?

🏙️ If the Solar relocate, is Boston an choice?

The curiosity is definitely excessive for a workforce in Boston, because the Globe’s Gary Washburn reported earlier this 12 months.

We’ll get a glimpse of the Solar in Boston this summer season. In July, they’ll face Caitlin Clark and the Fever at TD Backyard. Tickets value greater than $450 on the resale market, the fifth-most costly within the league, based on Vivid Seats.

However there’s an enormous query: If Boston bought a WNBA workforce, the place would it not play?

TD Backyard, owned by Delaware North, which owns the Bruins, already balances NHL and NBA schedules, on prime of different occasions. A WNBA workforce would primarily play from Might to October, depending on playoffs. It might be troublesome to navigate however doable, if not very costly, for an possession group, which could desire a basketball-specific venue. Just one WNBA workforce — the Los Angeles Sparks — performs in a venue that additionally hosts NBA and NHL groups.

Don’t financial institution on the WNBA approving a transfer to Boston on the concept that the brand new Celtics possession group might construct an area. As we’ve seen with the proposed Revolution stadium in Everett and the debated White Stadium undertaking to accommodate the NWSL’s Boston Legacy FC in Franklin Park, progress on large-scale initiatives is troublesome in Boston.

School venues equivalent to Boston College’s Agganis Enviornment may very well be choices. Agganis might seat about 6,500 for basketball. However venues with fewer than 10,000 seats are rapidly falling out of vogue for the WNBA.

🏟️ What’s the present state of the WNBA’s arenas?

The Valkyries play on the Chase Heart, dwelling of the Golden State Warriors (18,064). The Portland workforce will play on the Moda Heart starting in 2026, dwelling of the Path Blazers, with its capability of 19,393. The Toronto Tempo, additionally starting play in 2026, will play on the 8,700-seat Coca-Cola Coliseum, which is downtown and is dwelling to the PWHL’s Sceptres.

Mohegan Solar Enviornment seats 9,323 — the fourth-smallest venue amongst present groups. The Dallas Wings play on the College of Texas Arlington’s School Park Heart, which seats 7,000 (however with Paige Bueckers now on the roster, don’t be shocked if the Wings discover a larger dwelling).

That leaves two groups — the Atlanta Dream and the Washington Mystics — which have massive issues to unravel with venues.

The Dream play within the suburbs, within the 3,500-seat Gateway Heart Enviornment that can also be dwelling to the Atlanta Hawks’ G-League workforce. The venue is greater than 11 miles from downtown (which is infamous for its site visitors), close to the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. The Mystics play on the 4,200-seat CareFirst Enviornment, dwelling of the Washington Wizards’ G-League workforce. Whereas accessible simply by public transit, the world is taken into account one of many worst within the WNBA.

All that’s to say: Don’t anticipate the WNBA to approve a sale to a Boston possession group, then let that group put the workforce within the suburbs.

🏀 If not Boston, the place would possibly a WNBA workforce go?

The WNBA accepted bids for franchises in January. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert mentioned the league intends to broaden to 16 groups within the subsequent few years (the Valkyries are No. 13, Toronto and Portland might be Nos. 14 and 15).

The Solar relocating might deal with among the demand for a workforce. Right here’s what we all know in regards to the formal bids, which might point out possession teams serious about buying the Solar.

Getting a workforce gained’t be low-cost. The Portland franchise paid a reported $125 million in growth charges, which does reportedly embrace a follow facility. That’s greater than the $115 million the Toronto Tempo’s house owners put up.