State Democrats are taking their game to another level in their effort to keep the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun in the state.
Saying that he’s acting in support of Gov. Ned Lamont’s commitment to retaining the team, Attorney General William Tong is opening an inquiry into how the WNBA has handled its potential sale.
“We can’t lose the Sun. They belong to us,” says Tong. “I don’t think the WNBA should take them away from us. And if they try, I’m going to fight… as hard as I possibly can, and we’re going to exhaust every option to keep them here. ”
The league has reportedly blocked a majority ownership bid that would keep the team in Connecticut. Tong says the WNBA’s actions might be a violation of state and federal law.
“I hear they’re blocking a sale to a Connecticut-based owner and, for what it’s worth, a Boston-based owner,” said Tong at a Thursday morning press conference in Hartford. “And I’m concerned that they’re doing so in a manner that might be anti-competitive.”
To start the inquiry, Tong sent a letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Englebert requesting documents, including the Sun’s membership agreement with the league and any valuations of the Sun franchise.
Tong says Connecticut deserves the Sun because the state has a fierce fan base that’s been central to the WNBA’s rise, saying, “The WNBA has to have a team in Connecticut, because Connecticut is the epicenter and the heart of women’s basketball. That is not in dispute.”
Gov. Lamont is behind a plan for the state pension fund to buy a minority stake in the franchise, on the condition that the team stays (at Mohegan Sun, likely with cameo appearances in Hartford).
But there’s concern the WNBA will continue to block any outside sale of the Sun, based on the league’s reported plan to buy the team from the Mohegan Tribe and relocate it to Houston.
State House Minority Leader Vin Candelora (R-North Branford) issued a statement on the attorney general’s effort:
"Attorney General Tong is looking in the wrong direction on multiple fronts. Instead of demanding transparency from the WNBA about the Connecticut Sun sale, he should be scrutinizing the Governor's plan to use state employee pension funds to make Connecticut part owner of the franchise. That's what residents actually care about—the risk to state finances, workers, and taxpayers.