Rockets Owner Reportedly in Talks To Bring WNBA Team Back to Houston

Tilman Fertitta is reportedly in "active conversations" to bring the WNBA back to Houston.

Nov 27, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta walks off the court during the game against the Miami Heat at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is reportedly in talks to bring a WNBA team back to Houston. Michael Shapiro of Chron reported that Fertitta has been in "active conversations" with the league.

Some fun morning news for y’all @chron:

Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta will submit a bid on a WNBA expansion franchise, per a source familiar with the expansion talks.

Will the Comets return to Houston later this decade? Learn more ⬇️https://t.co/mu46PKO2Lo

— Michael Shapiro (@mshap2) September 19, 2024

Shapiro also reports that Fertitta would keep the Houston Comets branding as well, if his bid is sucessful. The Comets were the original WNBA dynasty as they won the first four WNBA championships when the league was formed in the 1990s.

WNBA legends Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson helped turn the Comets into the most dominant franchise in WNBA history. The timing was perfect, because it came shortly after the Houston Rockets' back-to-back championships.

The WNBA recently awarded Portland its 15th franchise on Wednesday. This is a return to the WNBA for Portland, which originally had a franchise, the Portland Fire, from 2000-2002.

LETS GOOOOOOO PORTLAND!! https://t.co/lofyT2DK9x

— WNBA (@WNBA) September 18, 2024

Portland's new team is scheduled to start play in 2026. There will be stiff competition for a possible Houston team. The WNBA has exploded in popularity this season with the arrival of Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.

More than likely, a potential WNBA franchise in Houston wouldn't be tied directly to the Rockets, but with Fertitta involved, it could be a possibility they play their home games at the Toyota Center. There isn't a definite date for the announcement of the next expansion team.

Former Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander was the first owner of the Houston Comets before selling the team to local businessman Hilton Koch in 2007. Unfortunately, that spelled the end of the Comets, as Koch decided to try to sell the team a year later.

No buyers stepped up, leading to the WNBA dissolving the most successful franchise in the league's history. It has been 16 years since the Comets played basketball, and they are still tied for the most WNBA championships in league history.

With interest in the WNBA at an all-time high and the still passionate fan base in Houston, a potential Comets return would be a win-win for everyone involved.

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