The WNBA continues to grow at a rapid pace. The league announced Monday that three new teams are coming to the WNBA: Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia.
The new Cleveland team will start play in 2028, with Detroit starting in 2029 and Philadelphia starting in 2030.
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In a statement, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert expressed excitement over the addition of the three new teams.
“The demand for women’s basketball has never been higher, and we are thrilled to welcome Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia to the WNBA family. 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.”
It’s the second time in WNBA history that Cleveland and Detroit will host a franchise. The Cleveland Rockers were one of the league’s eight original teams. They operated between 1997 and 2003. Over seven seasons, the team posted a 108–112 record. The Cleveland Rockers never won a championship.
The new WNBA Cleveland franchise will be owned and operated by Rock Entertainment Group (REG), a group led by Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert.
The Detroit Shock were one of the league’s first expansion teams. They debuted in 1998 and operated in the city until 2009, when they relocated to Tulsa. After five seasons in Tulsa, the team moved to Dallas and became the Wings, which still operates today. The franchise was highly successful in Detroit, winning three WNBA championships in the city before moving.
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The new Detroit franchise will be owned by Tom Gores, his wife Holly, and others. Gores also owns the Detroit Pistons.
The WNBA said it would consider bringing back the Rocker and Shock nicknames, but could also consider new branding for those teams. The Cleveland and Detroit franchises are expected to play in the NBA arenas in those cities.
Philadelphia has never had a WNBA franchise. The team will eventually play at a new shared arena with the 76ers and Flyers, scheduled to open in 2031 — possibly earlier.
The new franchise announced its presence with a hype video shortly after the WNBA’s announcement Monday.
Philadelphia’s WNBA franchise will be owned by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment. Josh Harris currently owns the Philadelphia 76ers. David Blitzer and David Adelman, who also are a large part of the 76ers’ ownership group, are also part of the WNBA ownership group.
WNBA expansion history
It marks the first time since … last September that the league has expanded. Portland was the last city to receive an expansion team. While they don’t have a name yet, the league is expected to make that announcement soon. Portland will begin play in 2026.
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They’ll be joined by the new Toronto franchise, which was announced in March 2024. Unlike Portland, Toronto has announced its team name. They’ll begin play as the Tempo in 2026.
With Monday’s announcement, six new expansion cities have been announced by the WNBA since 2023. In October of 2023, the league announced the addition of a Bay Area team that would begin play in 2025. Months later, the Golden State Valkyries were born, and, as promised, the team is in the midst of its debut season in 2025.
The addition of the Valkyries marked the first time since 2008 that the WNBA expanded. The league has experienced rapid growth since then, in large part due to the rise of talented, college players making the leap to the WNBA, including Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers, among others.
The addition of the Valkyries in 2025 gave the league 13 total franchises. That figure will jump to 15 next year, when the Portland and Toronto teams begin play. Following Monday’s announcement, 18 total teams will be part of the WNBA when the 2030 season opens.
