The state of Connecticut has submitted a proposal for a bid that would keep the Sun in the state, two months after the team's ownership group presented a deal to the WNBA that would have relocated the franchise to Boston.
The proposed investment, which would use funds affiliated with the state, would involve the Sun selling a minority stake in the franchise at a valuation higher than the WNBA's current $250 million offer to buy the team. The league's bid would allow the franchise to be relocated to a market of the league office's choosing.
Games would be held at Mohegan Sun Arena, the team's current home site in Uncasville, and PeoplesBank Arena (formerly the XL Center) in Hartford, which also serves as an off-campus home for the UConn's men's and women's basketball programs.
PeoplesBank Arena is undergoing a $145 million renovation and accommodates about 16,000 fans, while Mohegan Sun Arena sits about 9,000. There is a desire from the state to hold more games in Hartford, but at the moment, the Sun are only permitted to host a handful of games there each season.
The state would also build and finance a practice facility in Hartford, sources told ESPN, that would be leased by the team.
The WNBA and Sun ownership are expected to meet in the coming week to assess their options, a source said.
"I do believe that the best place for the Connecticut Sun is Connecticut because we have this very fierce fan base for women's basketball," Connecticut Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz told ESPN. "We love the Huskies. We love watching the Sun. So many of our favorite players from UConn will be part of the Sun or have been part of the Sun, and we've seen that the Connecticut Sun players have been great community leaders and role models."
The proposal is still subject to review and negotiation with the Mohegan tribe, which has owned the Sun since buying and relocating the franchise from Orlando, Florida, in 2003. Any sale of a minority stake would also be subject to league approval.
After uncertainty has reigned over the Sun's future, the proposal, if agreed to, would mark a commitment from the Mohegan tribe to keep the team in Connecticut over the next decade.
"The Mohegan tribe is very committed to trying to keep the Sun in the state, and the state of Connecticut very much values the tribe as a key partner," Bysiewicz said. "We want to keep that strong partnership with the tribe that we've had going because they took a leap of faith going back to the beginning, saying that Connecticut should have a women's basketball team here when not a lot of others thought that was a great idea."
The Sun have been exploring investment options for about a year, in recent months receiving two offers at $325 million for a full franchise sale. One offer came from a group led by former Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca that would move the team to Boston, and another was from a group led by former Milwaukee Bucks minority owner Marc Lasry that would move the team to Hartford.
The Mohegan tribe initially intended to accept the offer from Pagliuca in July, but it was met with resistance from the league office.
The WNBA has indicated to Sun ownership that it would not approve the Pagliuca and Lasry deals, saying relocation decisions are made at the discretion of the board of governors and that cities that have already gone through the expansion process have priority.
Sun ownership would still consider taking either $325 million deal, a source with knowledge of their thinking said, but Connecticut's bid could be the cleanest option for the tribe, as it would not mark a franchise relocation or demand a relocation fee.
"We so appreciate what they do and what they represent," Bysiewicz said of the Sun. "We just want our young people to continue to be able to benefit from this huge asset. Yes, it's economic, but part of it is what makes it fun to live in Connecticut, and it's also aspirational."