The Mohegan Tribe made an early bet on a WNBA team. Now the Sun is setting
The Mohegan Tribe has sold its WNBA franchise, the Connecticut Sun, to Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta. The sale, valued at $300 million, aims to help the tribe address significant financial debt.
Why it matters
This marks the end of a historic era as the first Native American tribe to own a professional sports team exits the league, highlighting the intersection of tribal business interests and professional sports ownership.
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For Cass Meehan, childhood visits to their Mohegan homelands meant family time and basketball. At 6, sporting a red jersey that hung past their knees, Meehan joined a roaring crowd at some of the Connecticut Sun’s first WNBA games.
Two decades later, the Mohegans have sold the Sun to the Houston Rockets and the Sun is relocating.
“I remember the energy in the arena,” Meehan said. “I knew it was Mohegan’s team we were cheering for.”
Now 29, Meehan is among a loyal group of Mohegan fans preparing to say goodbye to a team that became a point of community pride.
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