The Connecticut Sun closed the chapter on their WNBA history in the state with a 95-81 victory over the Toronto Tempo, ending their final game before the franchise relocates to Houston.
The occasion was filled with emotion at Mohegan Sun Arena, where a 23-year era of Connecticut Sun basketball came to an end. Players, fans and broadcasters all struggled to hold back tears during the farewell.
As the clock ran down on a comfortable win in the final game of the regular season, NBC Sports Boston announcers delivered an emotional goodbye to the team.
“It is officially sunset! Twenty-four years we will never forget,” Brendan Glasheen said. “Thank you, Connecticut Sun!”
Shortly beforehand, sideline reporter Terrika Foster-Brasby took a moment to address viewers, saying: “I just wanted to make sure I had a moment to tell everyone we love them, we appreciate them.”
“And just because we won’t be here, doesn’t mean you won’t see us and that we actually won’t be around, because we’re still going to be able to provide that love for women’s basketball across the state regardless. That’s my message.”
The Connecticut Sun earned a victory in their final WNBA game before the franchise relocates
Fans paid tribute to the team after more than two decades in Connecticut and a memorable run
Mohegan Sun Arena was packed for the final time as the Toronto Tempo visited Connecticut
Foster-Brasby then fought back tears during an emotional on-court interview with Aaliyah Edwards, who scored 16 points in the win.
“Girl, it’s just my heart,” Edwards said. “My heart is beating fast. My heart is just so happy. I’m happy that we were able to get one final win for the fans, because they deserve it.”
Edwards was a standout at UConn before returning to her home state in a 2025 trade from Washington.
“Man, it’s just been welcoming back with open arms,” she reflected. “But I came back to my family, came back to my home state and since then it’s just been love.”
“That’s more than I can ask for, more than this roster can ask for. This organization, this franchise. It’s just all love and it’s a family affair.”
“My legacy here in Connecticut? I want it to just be my impact to be felt. Take away the scoring, take away the rebounds, take away the hustle plays. Impact.”
“Whether that be making a little girl happy, inspiring a little girl to want to play basketball one day or even just paving the way for those coming, the next generation.”
“That’s what I want my impact to be and that’s what I feel we’ve done with this organization, the Connecticut Sun. We made some things out of nothing and we just kept excelling. And I’m so proud to be a part of this.”
Aaliyah Edwards and Terrika Foster-Brasby fight back tears during the final postgame interview in Connecticut Sun history.
“This is the basketball capital of the world, baby! Don’t ever forget!” ����️ pic.twitter.com/gRiLuD1r8m
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 25, 2026
Fans roared the Connecticut Sun to one final home victory before the franchise leaves the state
The Sun will move to Houston from next season after being sold to the Rockets owners
She concluded her interview with a strong parting message, taking the microphone and shouting into the camera: ‘Listen, this is the basketball capital of the world, baby! Don’t ever forget!’.
Fans flocked onto the court to join players after the game as the entire organization showed love to those who have supported them for over two decades.
The franchise was the first independently owned team in the league, and Texas will be its third stop.
They moved to Connecticut in 2003 from Orlando. The Sun made four trips to the WNBA Finals and hosted a record four All-Star Games, and Connecticut was the first team to turn a profit in the league’s history.
The team, which was purchased for $10 million, was sold for $300 million by the Mohegan Tribe to Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta.
The Sun had an offer for $325 million from a group led by Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca that would have moved the franchise to nearby Boston. The WNBA basically blocked that deal by saying that “relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams.”
Now the franchise is becoming the first to relocate since San Antonio moved to Las Vegas in 2017.
‘It’s been an emotional week,’ team president Jen Rizzotti told The Associated Press. ‘The silver lining of the chapter closing is it forces you to look at what this franchise has meant for over two decades and make sure the story is told and the legacy lasts forever.’
The franchise is moving to the home of the former Comets, who won the first four WNBA titles. Rizzotti will move to Houston with the team as president of basketball operations. She said that 75-80% of the front office staff will also make the move.
‘It’s exciting to celebrate the past while also being emotional that it’s ending,’ she said. ‘Thursday is a celebration of our fans with fan appreciation night. One game isn’t enough to show the appreciation of how much they poured into the franchise for 24 years.’
