
WNBA Announces 18 Team Expansion With Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia
The WNBA announced the league is once again expanding due to its growth and popularity. The WNBA currently sits at 13 teams with the addition of the Golden State Valkyries this season and will move to 15 teams in 2026 with newcomers Toronto Tempo and Portland. The league reported they will move to 18 teams by 2030 with Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia.
These new additions will bring another team in Philadelphia to the east coast joining the New York Liberty, Connecticut Sun, Washington Mystics and Atlanta Dream, as well as two teams in Cleveland and Detroit to the midwest joining the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx. The WNBA situated that these cities were chosen intentionally, 'Each location was selected based on an analysis of market viability, committed long-term ownership groups, potential for significant local fan, corporate, media, and city and state support, arena and practice facilities, and community commitment to advancing the sport, among other factors.'
In the press conference commissioner Cathy Englebert centered the moment for the WNBA stating, 'Our viewership is at an all-time high, our arenas are buzzing, and our league continues to make an impact on sport and culture. With these new teams our league will grow nearly every season for the rest of this decade, the Golden State Valkyries this year, the Toronto Tempo and Portland in 2026, Cleveland in 2028, Detroit in 2029, and Philadelphia in 2030. This expansion marks far more than an increase in teams, it's a transformational investment in the future of women's sports. With more teams, more roster spots, and more scale, the WNBA is building on a wave of momentum that is only growing stronger.'
Cleveland and Detroit Revitalized
Nic Barlage, representing the Cleveland Cavaliers, and WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert listen ... More during a news conference, Monday, June 30, 2025, in New York, announcing WNBA basketball expansion teams in Philadelphia, Detroit and Cleveland. (AP Photo/Doug Feinberg)
For longtime fans of the WNBA this is particularly exciting news as teams rejoining in Cleveland and Detroit means revitalizing the history of professional women's basketball in those cities. The Cleveland Rockers were one of the first teams in the inception of the league in 1997 until the team was dissolved in 2003 and the Detroit Shock played from 1998 to 2009 which included four conference titles and three WNBA championships in 2003, 2006, and 2008. The Shock were moved to Tulsa in 2010 where they remained until 2015 before the team would move again to Dallas and become the Wings, the team we know in the league today.
Cleveland is being led by Rock Entertainment Group and their Chairman Dan Gilbert. Rock Entertainment Group (REG), houses the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers' G League affiliate), and Cleveland Monsters (AHL affiliate of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets).
Detroit will be led by now Detroit Pistons owner and Platinum Equity Chairman Tom Gores. Gores said about earning the bid and winning the rights to one of the next group of WNBA teams, "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. 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.'
As of now, there is no word whether the previous names, colors, and logos of past Cleveland and Detroit teams will be regenerated.
Long Awaited Philadelphia Team Awarded
Josh Harris, left, managing partner of the Philadelphia 76ers, Arn Tellem, Detroit Pistons vice ... More chairman, Nic Barlage, representing the Cleveland Cavaliers, listen as WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks during a news conference, Monday, June 30, 2025, in New York, announcing WNBA basketball expansion teams in Philadelphia, Detroit and Cleveland. (AP Photo/Doug Feinberg)
The last team added to the league's slate is Philadelphia, a city that has long been waiting and buzzing for a WNBA team, which will begin play in 2030. Philadelphia's team will be owned and operated by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and joining the NBA's 76ers.
According to Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, Josh Harris, 'Philadelphia is one of the most storied basketball cities in the world and our region is home to some of the best women's players and coaches to ever grace the hardwood. It's only right that this city gets the WNBA team it deserves, and we're humbled to help usher in a new era of Philadelphia basketball.'
Perhaps Philadelphia will lean heavily on another heavy hitter with deep roots to the city in Naismith award winning player and coach Dawn Staley. Staley, a Philly native has built not only an impressive playing career (3x Olympic Gold Medalist, 6x WNBA All-Star, 2x Honda Award winner and USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year), but also a dynasty as a coach at the University of South Carolina winning national championships in 2017, 2022, and 2024, as well as an 2020 Tokyo Olympic Gold medal.
Recently, Staley teased on an episode of Not Gonna Lie Podcast with Kylie Kelce (wife of longtime Philadelphia Eagle, Jason Kelce) that she has an interest in ownership in a WNBA team, especially one in her hometown. Time will tell if Staley will get involved with the front office of the franchise.
Follow me for more women's sports content on X, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rams rookie Terrance Ferguson says he has some similar traits to Travis Kelce
After the Los Angeles Rams drafted Terrance Ferguson, Sean McVay made some bold comparisons for the rookie tight end. He sees similarities between Ferguson and Travis Kelce, as well as former Pro Bowl tight end Chris Cooley, whom McVay coached in Washington. McVay isn't the only one who sees Kelce's game in Ferguson's because the rookie tight end himself feels the same way. During an interview on ESPN LA, Ferguson was asked which tight end he plays like and he immediately mentioned Kelce. 'I take a lot of things from everybody's game,' he said. 'I try to be a student of the game and learn a lot from different people. I feel like some of the running routes and things at the top of the routes, I feel like I have some movements like Travis Kelce and that's one of the best ever. I definitely model my game and watch a lot of his tape just because he's so special at the top of his route and after the catch and I feel like I have similar movement patterns as him. But then there's other guys like Mark Andrews and George Kittle that are workhorses. You can learn something from a wide receiver out here on a release. You can learn from everybody, so I try to pick a little bit of everything but I would say definitely Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews.' Ferguson and Kelce are both around 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, so their frames are akin to one another. Kelce has been arguably the best tight end of this generation, so Ferguson has a long way to go before he reaches the All-Pro's level. But it's never a bad thing to model your game after a superstar. Both players are savvy route runners and incredibly dangerous after the catch, which the Rams are sure to take full advantage of his skill set this season. If he becomes anything like the player that Kelce is, Los Angeles will have hit a home run in the second round. This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams' Terrance Ferguson says he has similar traits to Travis Kelce
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
USC women's basketball lands another No. 1 recruit in Saniyah Hall
First it was JuJu Watkins. Then it was Jazzy Davidson. Now another of the nation's top women's basketball recruits is on her way to USC. Saniyah Hall, the nation's No. 1 prospect in the 2026 class, committed to USC on ESPN on Friday, shortly after her official visit to campus. She's the third No. 1 prospect in four years to commit to Lindsay Gottlieb and USC. That's a staggering feat given where the program was when Gottlieb took over in 2021. But since landing Watkins in November 2022, arguably no coach in women's college basketball has been better at recruiting top talent like Gottlieb. "Going there, it felt like home," Hall said on ESPN's NBA Today. "I loved all of my future teammates. The girls there are just so fun to be around. And then definitely Lindsay [Gottlieb], she's definitely there to support me and I've built a relationship with her. She's a great coach." Read more: The Times of Troy: USC women's basketball team deals with transfer portal losses Hall, who hails from Ohio, is a fitting addition to that star-studded lineage and a major victory for USC after a disheartening end to last season. She was recently named the most valuable player of the women's FIBA World Cup U19, despite, at just 16 years old, being one of the youngest players competing in the field. Playing alongside her future Trojan teammates this month — Davidson and rising sophomore Kennedy Smith - on the U19 national team, Hall scored nearly 20 points per game to lead all Americans. She also contributed 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 steals, two assists and a block per game, flashing a skillset that already looks primed for top competition. When Hall joins USC next fall, she'll round out a roster that ranks among the most touted in the history of the sport. After missing most of next season, Watkins will return, while Davidson will only be a sophomore. Smith, the No. 6 recruit in the 2024 class, will still presumably be a fixture in the lineup. Add Hall to that equation, and the Trojans, with four five-stars in tow, could very well enter the 2027 season as national title favorites. Sign up for more USC news with Times of Troy. In your inbox every Monday morning. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bears aren't sweating slow offensive start at training camp
Rome wasn't built in a day and the Bears' 2025 offense isn't going to be built that quickly either. That was the message from offensive coordinator Declan Doyle after Friday's training camp practice. All eyes are on the Bears offense after the arrival of Doyle, head coach Ben Johnson, first-round tight end Colston Loveland, and several offensive linemen arrived to help quarterback Caleb Williams put up better results in his second NFL season. Those eyes have seen a lot of scuffling through the first three days of practice and Johnson pulled the first team from one drill, but Doyle said that is not any reason for alarm. "No, I wouldn't say that right now," Doyle said, via Courtney Cronin of "This whole thing is a progress, and for the next six weeks we're going to get a ton of reps on all of these plays. We're going to try to master these things. The first time you guys did anything, you know, you're not quite a master at it yet. It takes a little bit of work and progression to get there." Doyle said it will be an issue for the coaching staff if the team repeats mistakes, but that the expectation is that it will take time for everything to run as smoothly as the team wants it to be come September. If that's what happens, all of the summer errors will be chalked up to necessary growing pains in Chicago.