Mayor Michelle Wu Pledges Support for Bringing WNBA Team to Boston

Boston hasn't officially landed a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team, but Mayor Michelle Wu said she is not giving up the hope that the city will.

During comments made on Monday, Aug. 4, in Charlestown, Wu responded to the news that Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca had agreed to a deal with the Mohegan Tribe to purchase the WNBA's Connecticut Sun and potentially move the team to the TD Garden.

Wu heralded the excitement the team's move to Boston would create for the city, but she cautioned that there are still more hurdles to overcome. 

“I know this is a decision that sits with the WNBA themselves and the league,” Wu said in comments made to MassLive. ”But the city of Boston is ready to do whatever we could to welcome them. ... We are eagerly hoping that the process steps might go this way because this is something that Boston needs.”

As Wu noted, the WNBA would still need to approve the decision. In a statement made to The Athletic, the WNBA stated that “relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors and not by individual teams.” The WNBA also noted that Boston did not submit a bid for a WNBA franchise during its recent expansion efforts.

According to a Boston Globe report, Pagliuca's group has agreed to pay $325 million to purchase the Sun and is prepared to advance another $100 million to move the team.