As the WNBA’s popularity has exploded in recent years, North American cities without teams are taking note and throwing their hats in the ring for expansion. That means league commissioner Cathy Engelbert has a very difficult decision to make at some point in the future.
More than a dozen cities have been named as having interest in landing a WNBA expansion team in the next few years. Some cities have owners actively interested in making a bid, and others have been named by Engelbert herself as possible destinations.
Despite so many interested cities, there’s just one available spot right now. The WNBA’s original plan was to introduce four new expansion teams into the league by 2028, and they’re 75% there. Three expansion teams will begin playing in the next two years: the Golden State Vaklyries in 2025, and the Portland and Toronto expansion teams in 2026.
We don’t know when Engelbert will make a decision on the fourth expansion team. Until she does, here’s a rundown on all of the potential landing spots.
Cleveland
Cleveland, the home of LeBron James and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is the latest city with WNBA aspirations. Nic Barlage, CEO of the Cavaliers, announced Wednesday that team owners are “actively pursuing” bringing a WNBA team to the city. Cleveland had a WNBA team from 1997-2003, the Cleveland Rockers (one of the WNBA’s original eight teams), but it’s not known whether Cavs ownership is interested in reviving the name or branding of the defunct team.
Kansas City
Patrick Mahomes, the three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs, recently expressed interest in expanding his KC sports empire. He and his wife, Brittany, are part-owners of the KC Current, the city’s NWSL team, and want the same ownership group (which includes others beyond him and his wife) to bring a WNBA franchise to an already sports-drenched city. The Current play at CPKC Stadium, the first stadium built specifically for a women’s professional sports team.
Philadelphia
There are few sports cities like Philadelphia, and city leaders know it. Mayor Cherelle Parker said in September that both the city and 76ers ownership want to bid for a WNBA expansion team — but only if the current proposal for a new 76ers arena in Philly passes the City Council. There is strong opposition to the proposal, which would threaten the 150-year-old Chinatown neighborhood and its businesses, but the mayor, Sixers ownership and several of the city’s trade unions are in support.
St. Louis
Boston Celtics megastar Jayson Tatum reportedly interested in financially supporting a WNBA expansion team. According to Sportico, Tatum has “informally” agreed to back a bid to bring a team to his native St. Louis. Led by billionaires Richard Chaifetz and David Hoffman, the bid doesn’t yet have any “formal structure,” but Tatum wants to do more than just write a check. Via Sportico:
Houston
The city of Houston had a WNBA team — the Houston Comets, one of the original WNBA franchises — from 1997 to 2008. That makes it an attractive destination for the WNBA, since there’s already history and a built-in nostalgia factor. Even better? Tilman Fertitta, owner of the Houston Rockets, has reportedly been in “active” talks with the WNBA to revive the Comets and bring a WNBA team back to Texas.
Austin
Austin is the biggest city in America without a major sports franchise, but a WNBA team could change that. It’s on the list of potential expansion teams, and there are some big names already attached to the bid. Former Texas Longhorns star and 1985-86 NCAA national champion Fran Harris is the face of Austin’s WNBA effort, and another former Longhorn, Kevin Durant, is reportedly considering an investment into the team.
Milwaukee
The owners of the Milwaukee Bucks reportedly submitted a bid for a WNBA expansion team in October, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Bucks ownership has yet to confirm.
Other potential destinations
The cities above all have parties actively interested in bidding for a WNBA team. The cities below have been mentioned as potential expansion destinations, but have yet to identify anyone interested a long-term, ownership-level commitment.
Nashville
Commissioner Engelbert took a trip to Nashville early in 2024, and though it wasn’t a WNBA-related trip, she said after returning that she was impressed by the city’s “young vibrancy and music culture,” and Nashville was “certainly” a candidate. However, she also said that Nashville couldn’t be at or near the top of the list without first finding potential owners to head up the bid.
Charlotte
Similar to Houston and Cleveland, Charlotte was also the home of one of the original eight WNBA teams. The Charlotte Sting existed from 1997 through 2007. However, unlike Houston, the local NBA team isn’t interested in bringing a WNBA franchise to Charlotte at this time.
Denver
Engelbert announced in April 2024 that Denver was among the options for a future WNBA expansion team. Since that time, there has been no news regarding potential investors or the city’s intention to make a bid.
