Connecticut Sun Relocation Marks End of First Native American-Owned Pro Franchise
AI-generated image · US National Wire
The sale of the WNBA team to a Houston-based ownership group leaves New England without a franchise and sparks concerns over the erasure of Indigenous identity.
Last month, the Connecticut Sun played their final game in Uncasville, Connecticut, closing out a 24-season run as the first professional sports franchise owned by Native Americans. As The Guardian first reported, the team has been sold to a new ownership group in Houston, a move that has prompted the state of Connecticut to consider legal action.
The Mohegan Tribe purchased the franchise in 2003 for $5 million, acquiring the team formerly known as the Orlando Miracle. The Sun became the WNBA's first independently owned team during a 2002 league restructuring. The Mohegan Tribe, which fought for federal recognition granted in 1994, operated the team out of the Mohegan Sun Arena located on the tribe's reservation.
While the franchise provided a point of community investment, the relocation is viewed by some as a disregard for tribal sovereignty. Natalie Welch, a program director at Seattle University and member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee tribe, told The Guardian that the situation is "belittling to the Mohegan Tribe." Other fans, such as Cherokee Nation member Shea Vassar, noted the significance of the tribe investing in a majority-Black women's league at a time when the WNBA's long-term viability was uncertain.
Val Ackerman, who served as WNBA president during the franchise's inception, stated to The Guardian that while the prospect of a Native-owned team was positive, the primary drivers for the move to Connecticut were the region's strong women's basketball following and the tribe's existing 9,000-seat arena.