The WNBA is continually growing, and that means with more eyes on the league, cities will continue their push for expansion teams.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced in October that the WNBA is partnering with the NBA’s Golden State Warriors to bring women’s basketball to the Bay Area. Engelbert also announced that the expectation is that there will be 14 WNBA teams by 2025.
Yet, with Wednesday’s surprising news that a bid for Portland has been “deferred” over possible renovation concerns at the Moda Center, all eyes are turning to what future cities might still be good candidates for expansion.
The WNBA has shelved plans to bring an expansion team to Portland after discussions with local entrepreneur Kirk Brown broke down at the 11th hour.
Read more here: https://t.co/dDCBk0BjBT pic.twitter.com/ZikwXlFo7n
— The Oregonian (@Oregonian) November 1, 2023
Several other cities could likely find themselves in a similiar position as Portland, but they are technically still an option.
Here are the six possible cities still on the WNBA’s expansion list:
1
Charlotte, North Carolina
As of August 2023, Charlotte, North Carolina, is still on the WNBA’s radar.
The city is very familiar with women’s basketball and was once home to the Charlotte Sting, the partner organization to the Charlotte Hornets. In 2003, when the Hornets moved to New Orleans, the Sting stayed and played at the Charlotte Coliseum until 2005. Unfortunately, the team folded in 2007.
Reviving basketball in Charlotte can be done with the right amount of financial backing and investment from the city.
2
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
As of October 2023, the city of Philadelphia is still under consideration but is at risk of being removed due to potential concerns over financial backing.
This reflects concerns in June by Philadelphia 76ers co-owner David Adelman about whether the 76ers, who currently lease Comcast’s Wells Fargo Center, could add a second lease for a WNBA team.
3
Nashville, Tennessee
In 2021, Nashville’s Convention & Visitors Corp president and CEO Butch Spyridon started the conversation about what it would take to bring a team to the city.
That conversation continued in 2022 when Nashville’s Sports Authority Board commissioned a study to gauge interest in having a professional women’s sports team. The study showed that Nashville could be a viable option, but the city would need an investor group to cover expenses and find a home site for a potential team.
As of October 2023, Nashville is still being discussed.
4
Austin, Texas
Of the other cities on the WNBA’s list, Austin is the only city that does not have an NBA, NFL, MLB, or NHL franchise, presenting a prime opportunity for the WNBA to land in the city. The lack of market competition from other major sports leagues is a huge draw.
Despite not being home to a major sports franchise, Austin already has experience with hosting teams. It hosted the MLS Cup in 2021, and the San Antonio Spurs hosted two regular season games in the city earlier this year. Add in a metropolis of huge companies with roots already in the city, like Google, Amazon, Meta and Apple, and Austin could be an ideal site for future sponsorships.
As of October 2023, Austin is still in consideration.
5
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
In May, Toronto held an exhibition game between the Minnesota Lynx and Chicago Sky at Scotiabank Arena. It was the highest-attended preseason game in WNBA history.
Yet, despite great attendance numbers and merchandise sales, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the arena, hesitates to have games at Scotiabank. According to Sarah Spain of ESPN, the ownership group doesn’t want to give up the revenue it receives from other events.
Toronto is still on the WNBA’s list but could potentially inform the league in the near future that it plans to withdraw its pursuit of a team.
6
Denver, Colorado
In August, Commissioner Englebert visited Denver and held several meetings with a group looking to own a WNBA Franchise.
However, per 9News, the WNBA has not been in contact with the ownership ground since that time. The league was unhappy about the idea of a new team playing at Magness Arena, which the University of Denver owns.
Though still technically under consideration, it remains unclear where the league stands on Denver.
