The WNBA does not want the Connecticut Sun to stay in Connecticut. The league is hoping to expand to a larger media market and its alleged behavior over the last few months could lead to the ouster of commissioner Cathy Engelbert if she is found guilty of wrongdoing.
William Tong is on the case!
He, the Attorney General of the Nutmeg State, requested five specific sets of documents related to how the WNBA handled the potential sale of the Sun. Those documents could show evidence of wrongdoing.
The Connecticut Sun might or might not sell.
As the WNBA continues to grow in popularity, it is already planning to grow from 13 teams in 2025 to 18 teams by 2030. The league is expanding to Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia, Toronto and Portland.
It also wants to move the Sun to a bigger market.
Boston obviously makes the most sense from a geographical standpoint. The Sun played a game at the end of August at TD Garden in front of a sold-out crowd of 19,125.
Cities like Portland, Toronto, Miami, Charlotte, Denver, Oakland, Kansas City, Houston, and Nashville could are also in the mix. The WNBA would prefer any of those locations over Connecticut.
This is where things get contentious.
The Mohegan Tribe, a federally recognized Native American tribe based in Connecticut, operates the Mohegan Sun casino. It also owns the Sun.
This entire sale of the Sun hinges upon the Mohegan Tribe’s willingness to sell.
Nothing more can be done if the owners don’t want to sell— which very well could be the case. They might sit put!
Meanwhile, there is a growing concern that the league is actively trying to block a sale of the Sun that would keep the team in Connecticut. The league might also be trying to buy the team for itself.
Is the WNBA up to no good?
A Boston-based group led by Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca reportedly offered a sale price of $325 million to the Mohegan Tribe. That group would move the team to Massachussetts.
However, a Connecticut-based group of investors matched that offer with the promise to keep the team in the state. It might move the Sun to Hartford but the Sun would not leave Connecticut.
This secondary group is backed by political leaders and local investors in the Nutmeg State.
Even though the Connecticut-based group matched (or exceeded) the Boston-based group’s financial offer for sale, the WNBA favors the latter to the former. With that in mind, the league is reportedly trying to stall or even block the less favorable sale all together. It cites concerns over infrastructure.
The WNBA might also be pushing for the Mohegan Tribe to sell the Sun to league at a price far below market value. The league would then move the Sun to whatever market it so chooses.
That would be illegal.
William Tong is on the case.
Connecticut AG William Tong opened a formal investigation regarding the process. He wants to know whether the WNBA is unfairly interfering with the sale of the Sun.
It would be a direct violation of both state and federal antitrust laws if the league suppressed competitive bids to keep the team local.
Tong requested multiple documents from the WNBA on Thursday morning. Those documents include:
- The WNBA operating agreement.
- All league rules and regulations.
- The membership agreement between the Connecticut Sun and the WNBA.
- The WNBA’s operating manual.
- Valuations of the Connecticut Sun (appraisals, offers, expressions of interest).
Tong also requested a meeting with WNBA leadership after he reviews the above documents.
Cathy Engelbert could be fired (or step down).
The commissioner of the WNBA could be fired or forced to resign if the Attorney General’s investigation finds evidence of wrongdoing. She would then be the primary facilitator of these alleged actions.
Her ouster could stem from:
- Documents that show that the WNBA has indeed breached laws (antitrust, unfair competition, contract law, etc.) or its own internal rules.
- Damage to local stakeholders in Connecticut.
- Internal pressure from WNBA ownership and/or the league board.
- A clause that likely exists in Engelbert’s contract related to ethics, compliance and performance.
- Legal action against the WNBA and its commissioner.
- A settlement with the state of Connecticut.
All of those things are hypothetical at this point.
William Tong has yet to receive the documents. There is still a very long way to go in this process before Cathy Engelbert’s job would be at risk but this might be the beginning of the end. It will get messy.
The post WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert Must Be Fired If Connecticut Sun Investigation Proves Guilt appeared first on BroBible.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert Must Be Fired If Connecticut Sun Investigation Proves Guilt
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