WNBA expansion is here, and it’s arrived in a massive way.
WNBA announces “historic expansion”, will add three new cities amid massive growth
Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia will all get teams over the next five years, per the Associated Press’s Doug Feinberg.
Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images
Noa Dalzell is a senior writer covering the WNBA and all of women’s basketball for Breakaway, SB Nation’s women’s sports vertical, as well as the Celtics for CelticsBlog.
Last year, there were only a dozen WNBA teams. By 2030, there will be 18 professional women’s basketball teams in the country. The league announced on Monday that Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia are all set to join the WNBA by 2030.
Cleveland will join in 2028, Detroit in 2029, and Philadelphia in 2030, AP’s Doug Feinberg reported on Monday morning. Before those teams join, Toronto and Portland will both officially enter the league in 2026.
“The demand for women’s basketball has never been higher, and we are thrilled to welcome Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia to the WNBA family,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said, per the AP. “This historic expansion is a powerful reflection of our league’s extraordinary momentum, the depth of talent across the game, and the surging demand for investment in women’s professional basketball.”
Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia each paid a $250 million expansion fee. All three teams currently have NBA ownership groups. Detroit and Cleveland both previously had WNBA teams, so this won’t be their first go in this space.
“This is a huge win for Detroit and the WNBA,” Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores said, per the AP. “Today marks the long-hoped-for return of the WNBA to a city with deep basketball roots and a championship tradition. Detroit played a key role in the league’s early growth, and we’re proud to reignite that legacy as the WNBA ascends to new heights.”
Cleveland and Philadelphia’s ownership groups will both also add WNBA teams to their repertoire.
The Golden State Valkyries, who joined the league this season, have laid out the blueprint for a successful expansion franchise. In their first season, the Valkyries are currently in the playoff race at 9-7, regularly sell out games, and are valued at a record-breaking $500 million, marking the first $500 million evaluation for a women’s team in pro sports.
Several other cities had reportedly expressed interest in WNBA expansion, including St. Louis, Charlotte, Austin, and Nashville. There’s also a group in Boston, led by former NBA player Michael Carter-Williams, hoping to bring a team to the city.
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