Can CT Hold on to its "Basketball Capital of the World" Title
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
The irony is thick: Just as UConn remains the most dominant force in college basketball, the state is losing its only professional franchise. You could argue that Connecticut is the "Basketball Capital" because it’s where the sport is purest—centered on collegiate excellence—but the sale of the Sun suggests the bragging rights are being challenged.
The CT Sun become the Houston Comets
The heartbreak became official on Friday, March 27, 2026. After 23 years, the Mohegan Tribe reached an agreement to sell the Connecticut Sun to the Fertitta family, owners of the NBA’s Houston Rockets. The sale closed at a WNBA-record $300 million. The Sun will play a "farewell tour" at Mohegan Sun Arena in 2026 before relocating in 2027 to become the Houston Comets. The record price tag proves the value CT fans built, but the move suggests our "small market" is being out-muscled by big-market NBA money.
CT's Defiant College Teams
While CT may be facing a crisis over its basketball identity, there is hope:
UConn Men: The Weight of the Three-Peat
Last night, the men stared down the #1 overall seed and didn't blink. In a nail-biter UConn defeated Duke 73–72 to advance to their third straight Final Four.
UConn Women: The Undefeated Standard
Earlier yesterday, the UConn women dismantled Notre Dame 70–52 to advance to the Final Four. At 38–0, the UConn women continued to be the epitome of consistency.
Between the Lines: Let's cheer for the UConn teams to sweep March Madness. If we don’t bring the banners home, those blue highway signs Gov. Lamont put up in 2024 at the border saying, "Welcome to CT—the Basketball Capital of the World," will have to go.