The WNBA expansion draft will start on April 3, and the league is planning to wrap up other processes, too, before April 17, which would be the training camp dates for the franchises. Expansion team, Toronto Tempo’s Head Coach Sandy Brondello voiced her concern over the delayed WNBA 2026 schedule release. While her concerns were roster-related, the Connecticut Sun, which soon will be the Houston Comets, has other challenges.
According to the latest update, the sale of the Connecticut Sun would be complete within 2 to 3 weeks, including time for free-agent signings and the WNBA draft. The Houston front office will work with the Connecticut Sun front office in those processes, ensuring they get the roster they desire.
But that’s not all, the front office is already working on the ticket deposits for the 2027 season.
Houston Comets’ Return On Cards
As one of the WNBA’s founding members, the Houston Comets hold a special place in the league’s heart. The franchise won four consecutive titles and provided multiple Hall of Famers like Sheryl Swoopes and Cynthia Cooper. The new owners are ready to match the legacy.
“We believe the time is right to begin the next great era of Comets basketball, and we look forward to working with the WNBA as we move through this process,” said Rockets Alternate Governor Patrick Fertitta after his father’s company agreed to pay a reported $300M to the Mohegan Tribe for the Sun.
The Connecticut Sun is being sold to the Fertitta family to bring a WNBA team back to Houston, per @ChrisYBaldwin.
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) March 27, 2026
The team is expected to be renamed the Houston Comets.
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While the Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta publicly acknowledged the deal to purchase and relocate the Connecticut Sun, the franchise will hold an official press conference after completion of the process.
Behind the scenes, though, his front office is working on the Houston Comets website and a ticket deposit plan for the 2027 season. The Rockets and Fertitta Entertainment launched houstoncomets.com. Fans can get priority access to next year’s season tickets with a $99 per seat deposit. For the 2026 season, the Sun team will play in Connecticut as the Sun officially kick off the 2026 WNBA season ticket sale.
While there is excitement in Houston for the new franchise, Geno Auriemma was not happy with the sale and expressed his discontent in an interview. But will the Connecticut Sun sale impact the WNBA?
How Will the Connecticut Sun Sale The WNBA?
While franchise moves were common in the WNBA, multiple franchises changed ownership and home courts or shut down completely. But the occurrences dried up in recent years. So far, the league has folded six franchises and has now revived three of them, with the Houston Comets, Cleveland Rockets, and Portland Fire returning.
The Detroit Shock will also return, but the team never folded, was the last to change ownership, and is currently playing in the league as the Dallas Wings. As for the Connecticut Sun’s move, the impact would be different and intense in the region.
First and foremost, the impact would be not having a team from the Northeast. With 12 championships, UConn had been one of the best ‘suppliers’ for the WNBA and now a full-fledged hub brimming with women’s basketball talent. Unfortunately, the absence of a team from the region could severely impact that supply line.
Another impact would be on the WNBA’s image, which came into question during the sale itself. The Sun’s ownership received a higher-value offer from Boston, but the league blocked the move with no specific reason given. While Cathy Engelbert is already facing fire with her CBA delay, this sale adds more criticism.
The franchises nowadays are making massive profits and will hopefully sustain the commercial models under the new CBA. Amid this, the sale of a franchise, resulting in the relocation, makes a bad impact on fans. Ironically, there were attempts to find local investors or owners to keep the franchise in the region; failure to do so highlights the lack of ‘grass-roots level impact of WNBA’, which is looking to expand at lightning speed.