Connecticut Sun sell out 2025 season ticket memberships for first time in franchise history

Amid a roster rebuild and reports that ownership is looking into selling the team, the Connecticut Sun announced Wednesday that it has sold out of 2025 season tickets for the first time in franchise history at the fastest pace it has ever seen.

The team said via a press release that it has also seen a 40% increase in overall ticket sales compared to the 2024 season, continuing a trend of massive growth in attendance around the WNBA over the last several years. The league had its highest total attendance in 22 years in 2024 up 48% from the 2023 season, and the 154 individual game sellouts marked a 242% increase from the previous year.

“Reaching a season ticket sellout for the first time in franchise history is a significant achievement for our organization,” Sun president Jen Rizzotti said in the release. “This milestone reflects the remarkable dedication of our loyal Sun fans, whose continued commitment and enthusiasm for over 20 years make them the best in the WNBA.”

The Sun sold out Mohegan Sun Arena 10 times last season including the playoffs at a capacity of just under 9,000, and the team also sold out 19,156 seats at TD Garden when they played against the Los Angeles Sparks in Boston.

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News of the season ticket sellout comes barely 48 hours after Sportico first reported that the Mohegan Sun ownership group has hired investment bank Allen & Company to explore “options for strategic investments” including — but not limited to — selling the franchise. Tribal leadership was publicly committed to keeping the Sun in Connecticut as recently as January when first-year head coach Rachid Meziane was introduced, but the demands of ownership have escalated rapidly as the league’s popularity explodes. More than half the WNBA’s franchises have already committed tens of millions of dollars to building dedicated practice facilities since the Las Vegas Aces started the trend in 2023, and the cost of running a team will spike with salaries and potentially roster sizes set to increase with a new collective bargaining agreement in 2026.

“This is a ownership group that has owned a successful WNBA franchise for two decades. I think they’ve been, in many ways, on the forefront of investment and loyalty and continued support in the WNBA,” Rizzotti said Tuesday. “The recent news is just about continuing to explore those strategic options and make sure that they’re doing what they think is in the best interest, not only only of the team, but also the WNBA.”

Connecticut Sun ownership exploring ‘options’ including sale amid demand for major investment

Despite the league-wide growth, Connecticut’s sellout is somewhat surprising considering it lost its entire starting lineup from the 2024 team that reached the WNBA semifinals for a sixth straight season. Franchise superstar Alyssa Thomas left the Sun after 11 years via a sign-and-trade deal with the Phoenix Mercury, and Connecticut also lost All-Star free agents DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones to the Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream respectively. Fan favorite DiJonai Carrington, the 2024 WNBA Most Improved Player, was traded to the Dallas Wings as a restricted free alongside starting point guard Tyasha Harris.

The Sun have just two returners in 2025, veteran guard Marina Mabrey and former UConn standout Olivia Nelson-Ododa. The team also signed UConn legend Tina Charles in free agency, bringing the eight-time All-Star full circle after she was drafted by Connecticut with the No. 1 overall pick in 2010. The Sun have an exciting young core with two 2025 first-round picks, LSU forward Aneesah Morrow and NC State guard Saniya Rivers, and they acquired 2024 No. 5 pick Jacy Sheldon in the trade with Dallas.

Originally Published: May 14, 2025 at 1:00 PM EDT