The WNBA hopes to expand by two teams before the 2024 season, commissioner Cathy Engelbert told The Athletic.
A new expansion franchise would mark the WNBA’s first since the Atlanta Dream’s inaugural season in 2008.
The WNBA has whittled its list of potential host cities for a new team down to roughly 12, per The Athletic. No specific cities have been officially selected by the WNBA, though Nashville, Oakland and Philadelphia are among the candidates.
“There’s no crisp or clear formula, but you see cities that rise to the top pretty quickly,” Engelbert said. “And we’re also looking at our current franchise cities and comparing what lessons we’ve learned and what’s worked and not worked over the last 25 years. We really want to set up new owners for success.”
Adding an 11th and 12th team could raise the WNBA’s valuation to over $1 billion, per Engelbert. The WNBA is reportedly eyeing an expansion fee worth $15-20 million.
