The Comets won the WNBA’s first four championships from 1997 to 2000 before the franchise left Houston in 2008. A new version of the Comets is coming to Toyota Center in 2027.
Smiley N. Pool/Houston Chronicle
The Connecticut Suns bench cheers for teammate Lindsay Allen #15 ‘s three-point shot against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center on May 09, 2025 in New York City.
Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images
You have to wait about 75 years to watch Halley’s Comet.
You’ll have to wait just one more — 19 in total — to watch the Houston Comets.
The WNBA franchise is set to return to Toyota Center for the start of the 2027 WNBA season. Fertitta Entertainment, which also owns the Houston Rockets, agreed to buy the Connecticut Sun and relocate the team to Houston, the company announced Monday. The deal still needs to be approved by the WNBA.
Article continues below this ad
“My family and I are thrilled for the opportunity to bring the Houston Comets back to this incredible city,” Rockets alternate governor Patrick Fertitta said in a statement. “Houston has a proud championship history in the WNBA, with banners from the Comets’ four historic championship seasons still hanging in the rafters of Toyota Center.
“We believe the time is right to begin the next great era of Comets basketball, and we look forward to working with the WNBA as we move through this process.”
The deal had been discussed since December and cost the Fertittas $300 million, ESPN and the Connecticut Insider reported. The $300 million is the highest for which a team has been sold in the WNBA. The previous WNBA team to move cities was the Las Vegas Aces, which relocated from San Antonio in 2017.
The Comets were one of the league’s first eight teams when the WNBA was founded in 1997. Houston won the first four WNBA championships and boasted stars Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson — all are in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The team played its last game Sept. 15, 2008, in San Marcos after Hurricane Ike hit the Houston area. The franchise suspended operations months later.
Article continues below this ad
Houston re-enters a drastically changed WNBA. The league has 13 teams and will expand to 18 with the addition of Portland and Toronto next season, followed by Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029) and Philadelphia (2030).
The WNBA has also been boosted by a new wave of stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers and A’ja Wilson.
The 2025 league finals averaged 1.5 million viewers across four games, the second-highest in league history behind only 2024, per ESPN. The 2025 season averaged 1.5 million viewers across 49 ESPN telecasts, a five percentage point jump from 2024, per ESPN. The league has also seen jumps in attendance.
All of that means a lot more money coming into the league — and now, into players pockets.
After extended and at-times contentious negotations, the WNBA and the league’s players association reached an agreement on a seven-year collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in March. The deal increases the percentage of league revenue that players receive to 20 percent.
Article continues below this ad
The 2025 salary cap, under the previous CBA, the salary cap was about $1.5 million and a supermax salary was a little less than $250,000. The 2026 salary cap will be about $7 million, with a supermax salary jumping up to $1.4 million. By the final year of the agreement, the supermax will be about $2.4 million depending on league revenues.
“The momentum and enthusiasm have been evident through the overwhelming interest from fans and the business community, all eager to support the return of this franchise,” Rockets president of business operations Gretchen Sheirr said. “It is a true testament to the continued growth and investment in women’s sports, which deserve a place on the world’s biggest stages. We cannot wait for the Comets to begin their next chapter — reigniting the passion of their loyal fans while inspiring a new generation.”
Fans can get priority access to season tickets for $99 per seat at houstoncomets.com. They can also purchase team merchandise and receive updates at the website.
The Sun were a consistent playoff team from 2017-24, including a pair of WNBA Finals appearances, but lost their entire starting five ahead of a 2025 season where they went 11-33. It remains unclear who on the current roster will be around to play at Toyota Center. The team’s two leading scorers, Marina Mabrey and Tina Charles, are both unrestricted free agents. There is some intriguing young talent on the roster, including forward Aaliyah Edwards, Aneesah Morrow, Saniya Rivers and Leila Lacan, who came over midseason from France.
Article continues below this ad
The team’s current general manager is Morgan Tuck, who was promoted into the role in December 2024. Previously the team’s assistant general manager, Tuck had extensive background in the region. She played four seasons for UConn, winning a national championship in each, and played her first four WNBA seasons with the Sun before winning the 2020 WNBA title with the Seattle Storm.
A day after promoting Tuck, the Sun hired Rachid Meziane as their new head coach. The French native found success in the country with Villeneuve d’Ascq, leading the club to a Ligue Feminine de Basketball title and and a EuroLeague runner-up finish in the 2023-24 season.