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Connecticut officials are banding together to oppose how the WNBA has handled the Sun sale process.
The state’s attorney general, William Tong, pressed WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert on Thursday to produce a group of documents he believes may shed light on the league’s plans for the Sun. Those documents include the membership agreement between the WNBA and the Sun, the league’s rules and regulations, and copies of any appraisals, offers, and expressions of interest for the team.
Tong said during a Thursday press conference that his request is not meant to be hostile, but that he hopes the league takes it “very seriously.”
As of Thursday evening the WNBA had not responded to Tong’s request, a spokesperson for the AG’s office tells Front Office Sports.
As far as next steps if the league fails to produce the documents, Tong said “we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” but that he would “exhaust every option” to keep the team in Connecticut, “where they belong.”
“There’s a body of law” around pro team relocation, he said, including “a number of antitrust cases.”
“I’m asking for basic governing documents that establish the relationship between the team and league,” he said. “I don’t think that’s a secret.”
The WNBA did not respond to a request for comment by time of publication.
The Sun saga dates back to July, when the team’s current owner—the Mohegan Tribe—agreed to a $325 million deal with Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca that would move the franchise to Boston. FOS reported that Engelbert never presented the offer to the league’s board of governors. Former Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry reportedly matched the $325 million offer, as part of a proposal that would move the team to Hartford full-time.
Tong’s appeal to Engelbert comes not long after both of the state’s U.S. senators expressed displeasure with the league and pushed to keep the team in the state. Earlier this month, the state of Connecticut put forth a proposal to buy a minority stake in the franchise.
The league’s preferred market for the franchise is believed to be Houston, FOS previously reported.
The Sun, which in 2003 moved from Florida to Uncasville, Conn., have made it to four WNBA Finals in the state.
The WNBA and Sun are expected to meet next week to discuss options.
