WNBA’s $150 Million “Luxury Palace” Sparks Outrage as Players Struggle to Pay Rent – Insiders Reveal Shocking Financial Scandal

The WNBA is in the midst of a gold rush. Billionaires are lining up, expansion fees are soaring, and record-setting bids are pouring in for franchises. But beneath the surface of luxury arenas and multi-million dollar deals, a scandal is brewing—one that exposes stark inequalities, questionable league tactics, and the real cost of basketball’s boom. While a $150 million “luxury palace” dominates headlines, many players still struggle to pay rent. Insiders are now revealing where the money is really coming from, and why the backlash is growing louder by the day.

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From Near Collapse to Casino Rescue

In 2002, the WNBA was teetering on the brink. Two franchises—Miami and Portland—folded that offseason; another, Utah, moved to San Antonio, and later Las Vegas. The Orlando Miracle faced disbandment, their future uncertain. The league seemed desperate for anyone, or anywhere, willing to take on a team.

Enter the Mohegan Tribal Nation of Connecticut, who stepped up with a unique plan: bring the WNBA to a 9,000-seat arena attached to their casino, deep in the woods of New England. The team, renamed the Connecticut Sun, was a gamble on a league down on its luck. The hope was that some of the passion for the nearby UConn women’s team would carry over.

Over the next two decades, it worked. The Sun became a model of stability in an unstable league. While four other franchises folded by 2009, the Sun consistently drew crowds, ranking fifth in average attendance as recently as 2022. The partnership was strong, the fans loyal.

Big Money Floods the Sport—But Who Benefits?

Now, in 2025, the WNBA is awash in new money. The Mohegan tribe, having bought the team for $10 million, is fielding two full-ask offers of $325 million—a record for the league. One bid, led by former Milwaukee Bucks minority owner Marc Lasry, would keep the franchise in Connecticut, moving games to Hartford’s 16,000-seat downtown arena after a $145 million modernization. The other, led by former Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca, would relocate the team to Boston, 105 miles up the road.

A third bid, with yet-to-be-disclosed financial terms, involves the state of Connecticut itself, proposing games in both Hartford and Uncasville.

But according to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, the WNBA has declared none of these bids acceptable. Instead, the league has offered to buy the franchise for $250 million—far less than the market value—before awarding it to a city that has already gone through the WNBA’s expansion process, most likely Houston.

League Tactics Under Fire

This move has ignited outrage among politicians and fans. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut accused the league of “strong-arming” the Mohegan tribe into accepting a lesser offer, warning of a potential antitrust investigation if the league “takes a step to hinder or constrain Connecticut’s negotiations.”

“The WNBA is trying to strong-arm the [Mohegan tribe] to take a lesser offer,” Blumenthal told ESPN. “They are, in effect, putting their thumb on the scale to discourage them from doing what they want, which is presumably keep the team in Connecticut.”

The WNBA, for its part, insists that relocation decisions are made by the Board of Governors, not by individual teams. NBA commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that the league will be involved in any relocation decision: “Once you’re talking about moving it to another city, that’s a league matter. That’s not an individual team matter.”

But critics say the league’s stance makes little sense when used to block bids that would keep the team in Connecticut. Moving 43 miles from Uncasville to Hartford, a major population center, would be far more convenient for most Sun fans.

“I can’t say I understand why they are so in favor of the team moving,” Blumenthal said.

The Real Scandal: Players Left Behind

While owners and league officials squabble over multi-million dollar deals and luxury stadiums, WNBA players are facing a very different reality. Despite the league’s boom, many athletes still struggle to pay rent, forced to take overseas contracts in the offseason just to make ends meet.

The $150 million “luxury palace” symbolizes a widening gap between the sport’s financial elite and its rank-and-file players. Insiders say that while expansion fees and franchise sales are reaching unprecedented heights, little of that money is trickling down to those on the court.

“It’s hard to see all this money changing hands and know that so many of us are still struggling,” one veteran player told an insider. “We’re building the league’s future, but we’re not sharing in its success.”

The Expansion Gold Rush

The WNBA’s transformation has been swift and dramatic. In October 2023, the owners of the Golden State Warriors paid a $50 million expansion fee for the Valkyries to begin play. Just 20 months later, expansion fees soared to $250 million for new teams in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia—each going to current NBA owners.

The league is like an Old West boomtown, insiders say, and that’s why the fight over Connecticut has gotten so clumsy, even cruel. The WNBA seems uninterested in Hartford or Uncasville, refusing to approve either the Lasry-led or Connecticut bid. The Boston offer is also apparently off the table.

If the league does move to Boston, sources indicate it would prefer the Celtics’ current owners, or a partnership with TD Garden and the Boston Bruins. A WNBA team that runs cohesively with an NBA team can access existing ticket holders, corporate sponsors, media, staffing, and infrastructure, as well as assure optimal stadium dates to maximize profitability.

Given these trend lines, the WNBA appears confident that, once Boston sorts itself out, the league could command $400 million or $500 million for an expansion team. Time, it seems, is on the league’s side.

Where Is the Money Really Going?

So where is all the money coming from—and where is it going? The answer, insiders say, is a mix of billionaire investment, NBA cross-ownership, and a new wave of corporate sponsorship. But as the league positions itself for maximum profit, the original partners—like the Mohegan tribe—and the players themselves are being left behind.

“The league’s interest is to buy the team and flip it,” one insider explained, speculating that the WNBA will sell the franchise to Houston Rockets owner Tillman Fertitta, who owns the Toyota Center. Houston was among the finalists that missed out on the latest round of expansion.

Back in Connecticut, politicians and fans are worried. “Connecticut is a basketball powerhouse of a state with a tremendous fan base,” Blumenthal said. “Once upon a time, and for a long time after, Connecticut was a downcast league’s only option, a safe port in a lengthy storm. That was then. This is the gold rush.”

Fans and Players Demand Answers

The controversy has left loyal fans and dedicated players demanding answers. Why is the league prioritizing billionaire investors and luxury arenas over the athletes who built its foundation? Why are historic partners being pushed aside, and why do players still struggle to pay rent while millions change hands at the top?

The WNBA’s response has been to double down on its expansion strategy, betting that bigger markets, NBA partnerships, and corporate dollars will secure its future. But as the league chases ever-higher profits, the backlash is growing—from politicians, fans, and players alike.

Conclusion: A League at a Crossroads

The WNBA stands at a crossroads. Its transformation from a struggling niche league to a booming business is remarkable—but at what cost? As record-setting deals and luxury palaces dominate the headlines, the real story is unfolding quietly: players left behind, fans disillusioned, and original partners squeezed out.

The league’s gold rush may bring new heights of success. But unless the WNBA finds a way to share that success with those who built it, the outrage will only grow. Insiders warn that the financial scandal is just beginning—and the future of women’s basketball may depend on how the league responds.