Connecticut senators criticize WNBA's involvement in Sun sale

Connecticut's senior senator wants the WNBA to stay out of negotiations regarding a potential sale of the Sun.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal sent a letter to commissioner Cathy Engelbert on Monday, asking her to allow the Mohegan Tribe, which owns the franchise, to explore offers that would keep the team in the area without interference. He said the team is entitled to negotiate with competing bidders and warned her that the league could violate federal antitrust laws if it tried to block a deal.

The Sun have played at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., since 2003 but the tribe has expressed interest in accepting bids.

A deal to buy the Sun was first agreed upon between Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca and the Mohegan Tribe in July. But Engelbert reportedly never presented the deal to the league's board of governors for approval.

When the exclusive sale window expired, former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry submitted his own offer, CT Insider reported.

Pagliuca is believed to be interested in moving the team to Boston, while Lasry is interested in Hartford, Conn., as the team's new home.

Both bids were a reported $325 million.

Connecticut has proposed its own plan that would keep the Sun in the state.

Specifically, the state wants to partner with the tribe and acquire minority ownership of the Sun, who would play part of the season in Uncasville and part in a newly renovated, 16,000-seat arena in the state capital, Hartford. The state also would build a dedicated practice facility in Hartford under its proposal.

Blumenthal, however, told Engelbert that he sees the WNBA as trying to "strong-arm" the tribe into selling the team back to the league for $250 million. The league, in turn, would sell to a buyer of its choosing, reportedly the ownership group of the Houston Rockets.

"Any further attempts by the WNBA to use its considerable governance and market power over the Connecticut Sun to limit or dictate negotiations with the state of Connecticut could be an unreasonable restraint of trade and interference with the market that would violate federal antitrust laws," Blumenthal wrote. The senator said that as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he "will demand investigations and enforcement actions" if the league does stay out of discussions.

Sen. Chris Murphy previously blasted the WNBA for what he said was an attempt to interfere.

"Why is the @WNBA telling the tribe who they need to sell to? It's the tribe's decision," Murphy wrote. "The @WNBA should approve the Hartford deal. Keep the Sun in the Basketball Capital of the World."

The WNBA has not commented on Blumenthal's letter.