The Connecticut Sun sale has quickly turned from breaking news into a full-blown saga. And it’s putting a spotlight on how much WNBA players are truly worth.
What began as reports of a $325 million agreement by Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca to buy and relocate the Sun to Boston has since spiraled into a much deeper issue. Both Pagliuca and the WNBA issued statements clarifying the sale process and pushing back on rumors. While Pagliuca confirmed his intentions to buy the franchise from the Mohegan Sun Group and move it to Boston, he stressed that it all depends on league approval.
The WNBA added that relocation and expansion decisions lie with the board of governors, not individual teams and Boston has no priority over cities that followed the formal expansion process.
According to Front Office Sports, Pagliuca’s group had an exclusivity period that has now expired, opening the door for competing bidders. One of them? A group led by Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry. Meanwhile, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont publicly declared he would do “whatever it takes” to keep the Sun in the state.
It’s unclear how this high-stakes standoff will end, but one thing is obvious: WNBA franchises are now premium assets.
Here’s a statement from a WNBA spokesperson to @TheAthletic re: a potential sale of the Sun to Steve Pagliuca (and a potential move to Boston) https://t.co/O8D8Ts05DM pic.twitter.com/lqPhIqkjWi
— Ben Pickman (@benpickman) August 2, 2025
Franchise Value Surge Makes the Case for Higher Player Pay
The rising value of WNBA teams is the strongest argument yet for boosting player salaries. The potential $325 million sale of the Sun would set a record for any women’s pro sports team, especially shocking considering the Mohegan Sun Group bought the franchise for just $10 million in 2003.
To put things into perspective, the last WNBA team sold — the Atlanta Dream in 2021 — was reportedly acquired for under $10 million. Now, just four years later, franchises are being valued in the hundreds of millions.
It’s not just Connecticut. The New York Liberty recently received a $450 million valuation, and the Golden State Valkyries are projected to be worth even more. With the league expanding into cities like Portland, Toronto, Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia, there’s no question the WNBA is booming.
The Profit Myth Is Fading Fast
Critics who say the WNBA “doesn’t make money” are ignoring a key point: franchise ownership is becoming a goldmine. The spike in valuation alone undermines the argument that player pay should remain stagnant.
On top of that, the league’s upcoming media rights deal — bolstered by rising viewership, attendance, and engagement — means more money is coming soon. The numbers don’t lie: the WNBA is on a steep upward trajectory.
If teams are being bought and sold for record sums, it only makes sense for the athletes powering the product to finally get paid like it.
The only question left: how big of a raise can players secure in the next CBA?
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