UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- Connecticut Sun president Jen Rizzotti and general manager Morgan Tuck will relocate with the franchise when it moves to Houston this offseason.
Rizzotti, who has served as Sun president since 2021, will be the president of basketball operations. Tuck will continue to serve as general manager, the role she has had the past two years after joining the team's front office in 2021.
"Two years ago, we sat there as our entire starting five was either traded or left, and at that moment, we're like, 'OK, we're in the rebuild and what do we want this to look like and what will make us proud?'" Rizzotti told ESPN on Thursday ahead of the Sun's final game in Connecticut, a 95-81 win over the Toronto Tempo. "We knew it was going to be a tough road, and we wanted to see it through. We wanted to be on the other end of it."
"I think Jen and I have done a good job," Tuck said in a news conference. "I think that when we met with [Houston] and explained the vision that we have and what we're trying to do, what we're trying to build, they bought into it.
"I think that they understand the W in that there's a benefit of having people that have been in it and that really understand it. We're just appreciative that they understood that."
The Sun had made eight consecutive postseason appearances before entering a rebuild in 2025 following the departure of their starting five in the offseason. They've leaned into a youth movement this year especially, with five rookies and four second-year players on the roster.
Houston will also be well-positioned to have a high lottery pick in the 2027 draft -- which could include stars JuJu Watkins, Madison Booker and Hannah Hidalgo -- though the official odds have not yet been released by the league.
"If you ask any like NBA or WNBA GM, sometimes it takes some low seasons to get back to the high," Rizzotti said. "When you look at this recipe for success, high draft picks are what have allowed Vegas and Indiana and Dallas to take the strides that they've taken to be successful in this league."
Added Tuck: "I really love what I do. I've always wanted to be a GM, and so to me, it was a no-brainer opportunity when it presented itself. And I'm really bought into what we're trying to build. ... I think it's hard to walk away from something that you really believe in and that you can see the potential in, and then I'm really lucky that I get to do it with Jen."
The Mohegan tribe purchased the Orlando Miracle and relocated it in 2003, making them the league's first non-NBA owners. The Sun found great success on the court for more than two decades, even with the franchise located in Uncasville, Connecticut, one of the smallest markets for a pro sports team.
In Houston, the team will enjoy a "shared service model," as Rizzotti put it, with the NBA's Rockets. The Fertitta family, who owns the Rockets, agreed to terms to buy and relocate the Sun in March, with the deal closing at $300 million.
"I think playing in an NBA city, NBA arena, a major market, is exciting to a lot of the young players in the league, and Houston gives us that draw," Rizzotti said. "So in addition to dedicated facilities, upgrades in facilities, brand and marketing opportunities in the city for our players, entertainment opportunities for our players, there's just a lot on the surface before we even get there and actually know what we can take advantage of.
"We're hopeful that we have a great young, fun core that's talented, that the recognition is that we've got good leadership, we've got a good core, it's a franchise that [players] want to play for."
Tuck said decisions about other basketball personnel joining the team in Houston will be made in the next few weeks. This offseason, she and Rizzotti will also assess which players they want to continue to build around, but said, "Our young ones have done a good job of showing some of their potential."
"We need to bring in a few more veteran players that have experience and talent, but we need to continue to invest in this young core because we believe in what they're doing and what they've accomplished and how good they could be," Rizzotti said.
It'll be a full-circle moment for Rizzotti, a self-described "Connecticut girl" who grew up and played collegiately in the Nutmeg state, but also spent two seasons with the Comets, winning a pair of championships there in 1999 and 2000.
"I played in Houston, I'm excited about it," Rizzotti said. "Their leadership has been terrific, and they're excited to have us. They have high expectations for what we can accomplish. And I look forward to partnering more with them now that we're getting ready to finish here and getting set up and ready for 2027."