Post by @dailymailsportusa

The Connecticut Sun bid farewell with a 95-81 win over the Toronto Tempo in the team's final ever WNBA game before the franchise uproots to Houston. It was an emotional occasion at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut as a 23-year era in the state came to an end, with players, fans and broadcasters alike fighting back tears. NBC Sports Boston announcers bid emotional farewells to the team as the game clock wound down on a comfortable win in the final game of the regular season. 'It is officially sunset! 24 years we will never forget,' Brendan Glasheen said. 'Thank you, Connecticut Sun!'. Just moments earlier, sideline reporter Terrika Foster-Brasby took a moment to tell viewers: '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.' 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.' #connecticutsun #connecticut #WNBA #womensbasketball #sports