The WNBA Expands: Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia Join the League
The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) is on track to grow significantly in the next five years, with the addition of three new teams. Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia will join the league, expanding its presence and reach in women’s basketball. Cleveland will begin competing in 2028, followed by Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in the 2030 season, provided they receive approval from the NBA and WNBA Board of Governors. This expansion is a testament to the growing interest and demand for women’s basketball.The three new teams have NBA ownership groups. Each paid an expansion fee of $250 million. In addition, more funds will be invested in the construction of practice facilities and other improvements. Nic Barlage, CEO of Rock Entertainment Group and the Cavaliers, highlighted the synergy of this expansion: “It’s only natural that when you already have this infrastructure related to basketball, these strategies, cultures that you find successful, combinations of personnel that you find successful, extending that to the WNBA is simply the next natural progression, especially if you have the desire to grow like us.” Both Cleveland and Detroit had WNBA teams in the past, and Philadelphia hosted an ABL team.“The demand for women’s basketball has never been higher, and we are thrilled to welcome Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia to the WNBA family,” commented WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “This historic expansion is a reflection of our league’s extraordinary momentum, the depth of talent in the game, and the growing demand for investment in professional women’s basketball.”
Cathy Engelbert, WNBA Commissioner
Detroit sports stars like Grant Hill, Chris Webber, and Jared Goff will have minority stakes in the team. The ownership groups of Cleveland and Detroit will consider the names Rockers and Shock, from the previous teams, but will conduct a thorough investigation before making a final decision. The Detroit and Cleveland teams will play in existing NBA stadiums, while Philadelphia plans to build a new building that is expected to be completed by 2030. Josh Harris, managing partner and co-founder of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, owner of the 76ers, commented: “We are trying to promise less and deliver more. But, right now it’s 2031, to have a year of margin.” The addition of these three teams will generate natural rivalries in the league, with another team on the east coast and the proximity of Detroit and Cleveland. Arn Tellem, vice president of the Detroit Pistons, anticipated: “I would love to have a rivalry like the one we have in the NBA with Cleveland and Indiana, Philadelphia and New York and all these great cities, and I think we will have it.” Other cities that submitted bids to obtain teams, but were not selected, include St. Louis; Kansas City, Mo.; Austin, Texas; Nashville, Tenn.; Houston; Miami; Denver; and Charlotte, N.C. Engelbert pointed out: “We didn’t know that the demand would reach where it did when we carried out the process last fall and winter. Given the high demand and supply, we also wanted to evaluate, because we are very careful, you know, making sure to balance the number of positions in the workforce, the number of teams.” The commissioner added: “But something that really catches my attention is that, as we enter into a new agreement with the media, as the media market evolves, being in these three major basketball cities will help from a media and corporate partner perspective.” In recent seasons, all key performance indicators, such as attendance, television viewership, and sponsorships, have been on the rise. Barlage highlighted the community impact: “The fastest-growing segment of our Cavs youth academy, which serves 60,000 children across the state of Ohio and New York state, is girls. It’s growing at a rate of 30% annually in participation rates. And so, for us, to be able to create role models, to be able to create symbols of progress, to create ambassadors within the community who represent all these things.”“This is a great victory for Detroit and the WNBA,” said Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores. “Today marks the long-awaited return of the WNBA to a city with deep roots in basketball and a tradition of championships. Detroit played a key role in the league’s initial growth, and we are proud to reactivate that legacy as the WNBA ascends to new heights. Our plans will bring new energy, investment, and infrastructure to our city and the WNBA, and additional resources to our community.”
Tom Gores, Owner of the Detroit Pistons
