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Two of the NBA’s most decorated franchises changed ownership this year.
The growing popularity of the WNBA has fueled several teams’ plans for expansion in the coming years.
Hurricane Milton severely damaged Tropicana Field, forcing the Rays to play home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field – the spring training home of the New York Yankees – in 2025 before new ownership clarified the team’s future.
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The growth of women’s professional soccer in the United States has further highlighted the sport’s broader impact in 2025.
Here’s a look at some of the biggest sports ownership changes, league expansions and other stories that defined the year.
Iconic NBA franchises change ownership
In June, the Buss family reached a purchase agreement for the Los Angeles Lakers with Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter at a valuation of approximately $10 billion. This figure represents the highest valuation ever recorded for an American professional sports team.
Although the deal transferred majority ownership to Walter, the Buss family retained a minority stake in the franchise. Jeanie Buss continues to represent the Lakers on the NBA Board of Governors.
Jeanie Buss, owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, attends media day at the UCLA Health and Training Center in El Segundo, California on September 28, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports)
The deal also included guarantees giving Buss the authority to continue overseeing the franchise’s day-to-day basketball operations for “at least a number of years,” ESPN reported at the time.
Elsewhere, in August, the NBA Board of Governors backed a group of investors led by Bill Chisholm to obtain a majority stake in the Boston Celtics. The deal was worth approximately $6.1 billion. The Celtics won a franchise-record 18th NBA championship in 2024, surpassing the Lakers for the most in league history.
MLB team lands buyer
Real estate mogul Patrick Zalupski led an investment group that won approval for a majority stake in the Rays after Stu Sternberg expressed interest in parting ways with the MLB club. The Rays acquisition deal reportedly closed at $1.7 billion in September.
NWSL xxpansion
In late January, an investment group led by Robert Cohen, chairman and CEO of IMA Financial, set an expansion fee for the NWSL. The deal awarded Denver its first NWSL team, the name of which was revealed this summer at the Denver Summit. The franchise is expected to take the field in 2026. Another expansion club, the Boston Legacy, will also begin play that year.
The National Women’s Soccer League logo at SeatGeek Stadium before the game between the Chicago Stars and the Kansas City Current on May 24, 2025 in Bridgeview, Illinois. (Matt Cashore/Imagn Images)
In November, the NWSL announced that Atlanta had secured the league’s 17th franchise, scheduled to debut in 2028. The expansion club will be owned by Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank.
“I want to thank Commissioner Jessica Berman, the NWSL Owners and the Expansion Committee for their confidence in granting this opportunity to Atlanta, as well as our leadership team for their tireless efforts as we have worked to make this dream a reality. We look forward to seeing our NWSL club take the field in 2028,” Blank said in a statement.
WNBA expansion
Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia are all expected to host the three new WNBA teams. These additions will bring the league to 18 teams by 2030.
A WNBA logo is displayed on the court before a game between the Connecticut Sun and the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob ULTRA Arena on June 25, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Dan Gilbert’s Rock Entertainment Group was announced as the ownership entity for the Cleveland-based team, which is scheduled to launch in 2028. Gilbert also owns the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Connecticut Sun Saga
Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca led an investment group that reportedly struck a deal with the Mohegan Tribe — the ownership group of the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun. Pagliuca’s group announced its intention to relocate the franchise to Boston after the conclusion of the agreement.
However, WNBA executives pushed back, saying relocation decisions were up to the league’s Board of Governors and not individual teams.
The Mohegan Tribe purchased the Sun in 2003 and managed to move the team, formerly known as the Orlando Miracle, from Florida to Connecticut that year. According to ESPN, several options are on the table regarding the future of the franchise.
Options include a league-led purchase, a Marc Lasry-backed relocation to Hartford or a WNBA-approved partial sale.
