WNBA announces massive expansion with Philly, Detroit, and Cleveland joining the league

Followed by Golden State, the WNBA has now announced Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Detroit as its newest expansion cities. It is being reported that Cleveland will get its team at the start of the 2028 season, followed by Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030.

The cities of Cleveland and Detroit have had their own WNBA franchises in the past. Meanwhile, Philadelphia also had a team in the ABL. All three teams have NBA ownership groups and paid a $250 million fee for the expansion.

Addressing the announcement on Sunday, Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores said:

“This is a huge win for Detroit and the WNBA.”

“Today marks the long-hoped-for return of the WNBA to a city with deep basketball roots and a championship tradition.”

The new WNBA teams in Cleveland and Detroit are expected to play in NBA arenas, while Philadelphia plans to open a new building.

"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.

“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.”

“More than basketball,” “The WNBA is surging”: Arn Tellem and Nic Barlage address WNBA expansion with excitement

Arn Tellem, Vice Chairman of the Detroit Pistons, and Nic Barlage, CEO of Rock Entertainment Group, couldn’t hide their excitement when addressing Detroit and Cleveland’s new expansion teams.

“We aligned perfectly. Detroit's on its way back, and the WNBA is surging. … We had a great run with the Shock. We had three championships. … We led the league in attendance three years in a row. … There's great fan support in Detroit, and we can't wait to have it back in our city,” Tellem said.

“For Cleveland, this is more than basketball. This is an opportunity for us to create a platform to unite our community and our great state. We can't wait to be a beacon of hope and aspiration for all the girls and women that look up to players in the WNBA,” Barlage said.

Cleveland and Detroit’s ownership groups have expressed interest in reviving the names of their former WNBA teams. The Cleveland Rockers were in the WNBA from 1997 until 2003. On the other hand, the Detroit Shock were discontinued in 2010, but not before winning three championships.

In addition to Philadelphia, Cleveland and Detroit, other cities that submitted expansion bids included St. Louis, Austin, Nashville, Houston, Miami, Denver and Charlotte

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by John Maxwell