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Two of the NBA’s most decorated franchises changed owners this year.
The growing popularity of the WNBA has fueled plans for multiple expansion teams 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 the new owners clarified the team’s future.
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The growth of U.S. women’s professional soccer further underscored the broader impact sports had 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 signed an agreement to purchase the Los Angeles Lakers with Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter at a valuation of approximately $10 billion. The figure represented the highest valuation ever recorded for a US professional sports team.
While 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.
Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss 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 that gave Buss the power to continue overseeing the franchise’s daily basketball operations for “at least several years,” ESPN reported at the time.
Separately, in August, the NBA Board of Governors endorsed an investment group led by Bill Chisholm taking a majority stake in the Boston Celtics. The deal was worth approximately $6.1 billion. The Celtics won the franchise’s 18th NBA championship in 2024, surpassing the Lakers for the most in league history.
MLB team finds buyer
Real estate mogul Patrick Zalupski led an investment group that won approval to take a majority stake in the Rays after Stu Sternberg expressed interest in parting ways with the MLB club. The deal to acquire the Rays reportedly closed for $1.7 billion in September.
NWSL xxexpansion
In late January, an investment group led by Robert Cohen, president and CEO of IMA Financial, set an expansion fee for NWSL. The deal gave Denver its first NWSL team, which was unveiled in the summer as Denver Summit. The franchise is scheduled to take the field in 2026. Another expansion club, 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 Kansas City Current on May 24, 2025 in Bridgeview, Illinois. (Matt Cashore/Image Images)
In November, the NWSL announced that Atlanta had received the league’s 17th franchise, set 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 ownership and expansion committee for their trust in granting Atlanta this opportunity, as well as our executive leadership team for their tireless efforts as we work to make this dream a reality. We can’t wait to see our NWSL club take the field in 2028,” Blank said in a statement.
WNBA expansion
Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia are slated to become home to the WNBA’s three newest teams. The 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 of the Cleveland-based team, which is scheduled to begin in 2028. Gilbert also owns the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Connecticut Sun Saga
Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca led an investment group that reportedly reached a deal with the Mohegan Tribe, the group that owns the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun. Pagliuca’s group announced plans to move the franchise to Boston after the deal was closed.
However, WNBA leadership responded, saying relocation decisions rest with the league’s Board of Governors, not individual teams.
The Mohegan Tribe purchased the Sun in 2003 and successfully moved the team, formerly known as the Orlando Miracle, from Florida to Connecticut that year. According to ESPN, there are several options on the table related to the future of the franchise.
Options include a league-led buyout, a Marc Lasry-backed relocation to Hartford or a partial sale approved by the WNBA.
