Sources say the league is trying to leave options open to get a team in Houston or later gain a larger expansion fee for a team in Boston.

The WNBA so far has expressed resistance to the whole Boston sale idea, stating that regardless of the offer from Pagliuca, relocation decisions are made solely by the league and not by individual teams.

The WNBA pushed back on a proposed sale of the Connecticut Sun to a group led by Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca, but team ownership continues to work toward a deal. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Romona Shelburne report that the Mohegan Tribe,