Trademark Dispute Clouds WNBA’s Plan To Revive The Houston Comets

A Delaware firm’s earlier trademark bid has triggered a fight over who can use the name.

Overview

The Fertitta-led group agreed to buy the Connecticut Sun and move the team to Houston for a planned 2027 return, pending league approval.
The league learned another company had filed for the “Houston Comets” mark before its own 2025 application and then filed a formal opposition.
TSTM Holdings, a Delaware LLC with no public ties to pro basketball, applied in 2024 to use the name on apparel, media, sporting goods, and live games.
The WNBA let earlier Comets trademark registrations lapse in 2021, which now complicates efforts to secure the name again.
Trademark lawyers say the office could take time to rule, though nothing currently stops the league from branding the Houston team as the Comets.