As free company kicked off final month and star gamers started shuffling across the WNBA, one other essential date loomed on the league’s calendar.
Bids for the sixteenth WNBA franchise had been due on Jan. 30, in accordance with a league supply briefed on the matter, leading to a flurry of curiosity. Greater than 10 potential possession teams submitted formal bids, in accordance with individuals concerned within the course of.
Because the WNBA determines the place it ought to award its subsequent enlargement workforce, listed below are the cities and teams we all know have made formal bids for workforce No. 16 and what the timeline is more likely to appear like for when a brand new franchise shall be awarded.
Which cities submitted bids?
Via the final six months, potential possession teams from throughout the U.S. indicated public curiosity within the WNBA sixteenth franchise.
The brand new workforce will be part of latest enlargement groups in Golden State (launching this season) and Portland and Toronto (2026). Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has stated she felt assured the league may broaden to 16 groups by 2028.
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Extra teams than these listed beneath might have submitted bids, however listed below are 9 teams The Athletic has confirmed are nonetheless concerned within the course of:
Austin
A gaggle attempting to deliver a workforce to town has filed a proper bid with the WNBA, three sources briefed on the matter instructed The Athletic. Former Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry is the lead investor within the group attempting to deliver one other workforce to Texas, by way of his funding agency, Avenue Capital, whereas perennial NBA All-Star Kevin Durant and former College of Texas star and Houston Comets participant Fran Harris are each concerned with the bid, in accordance with an individual briefed on the bid. The workforce would possible play on the Moody Middle, the place the Longhorns compete. The group plans to construct a observe facility for the potential workforce if it wins the bid.
An NBA participant, like Durant, should purchase as much as 4 p.c of a WNBA workforce, and NBA gamers in mixture can come clean with 8 p.c of a WNBA workforce, in accordance with new guidelines handed within the NBA’s 2023 collective bargaining settlement. However a participant can’t be invested in a workforce if any of the opposite possession stakes belong to a present NBA proprietor; Lasry bought his share of the Milwaukee Bucks two years in the past.
Charlotte
A gaggle that includes the Charlotte Hornets possession group is attempting to deliver a workforce again to town, which was as soon as the house of the Charlotte Sting. WUNC reported that Erica Berman is main the bid. A Hornets spokesperson confirmed to The Athletic that the franchise is concerned within the effort. “Hornets Sports activities & Leisure believes strongly sooner or later development of ladies’s basketball and the WNBA,” the workforce stated in an announcement. “The Charlotte Sting have a storied historical past and a passionate fanbase inside our group. We’re proud to again the Berman household and be part of this bigger group that’s bidding to deliver the WNBA again to Charlotte.”
Cleveland
Dan Gilbert, the bulk proprietor of the Cleveland Cavaliers, formally put in a bid with the WNBA to deliver an enlargement franchise to town, a spokesperson for Rock Leisure Group, the corporate that oversees Gilbert’s sports activities properties, confirmed to The Athletic. Cleveland had been a WNBA market from the league’s debut, in 1997, to 2003, when the Cleveland Rockers folded. The potential Cleveland workforce would play at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the place the Cavaliers play. The bid additionally features a plan to get the WNBA workforce its personal observe facility.
Denver
A gaggle led by the Dimond household submitted a proper bid with the WNBA to deliver an enlargement workforce to Colorado. Ashley Dimond, who confirmed the bid to The Athletic, would function the workforce’s governor if it had been to get a workforce, whereas her father, Stonebridge CEO Navin Dimond, is part of the bid as effectively. Ibotta CEO Bryan Leach and his household are additionally a part of the investor group. They intend for the potential Denver workforce to play in a purpose-built enviornment if the WNBA chooses their bid.
Detroit
Tom Gores, the proprietor of the Detroit Pistons, introduced {that a} group together with NBA Corridor of Famers Grant Hill and Chris Webber in addition to Lions proprietor Sheila Ford Hamp and quarterback Jared Goff submitted a bid to deliver the WNBA again to Detroit. The brand new WNBA workforce would play at Little Caesars Enviornment, the house of the Pistons, however it will assemble a devoted WNBA observe facility. Detroit was a WNBA market from the league’s second season in 1998 till 2009.
“I truly assume it’s actually only a query of when the Shock comes again,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver instructed Pistons.com. “Over time, there’s going to be plenty of enlargement within the WNBA. That’s a first-class group led by Tom, and Detroit must get a WNBA workforce once more.”
Houston
Tilman Fertitta, the proprietor of the Houston Rockets, submitted a bid for a WNBA franchise, a spokesperson for the Rockets confirmed to The Athletic. The franchise would play at Toyota Middle. The Houston Comets gained the primary 4 WNBA titles however disbanded after the 2008 season.
Kansas Metropolis
A gaggle led by the NWSL’s Kansas Metropolis Present co-owners Angie Lengthy, Chris Lengthy, Brittany Mahomes and Patrick Mahomes submitted a proper bid to deliver an enlargement workforce to Kansas Metropolis. Present co-owner Chris Lengthy instructed The Athletic that the group has already signed an settlement with T-Cellular Middle to be the downtown stadium’s anchor tenant and that the Kansas Metropolis WNBA franchise would construct a 60,000-square-foot privately-financed observe facility on land the group already owns in the identical space because the Present’s facility.
Lengthy stated that if chosen the franchise would even be the one WNBA within the geographic area, as there’s not a WNBA workforce inside 400 miles of Kansas Metropolis. “I actually imagine this isn’t only a metropolis play for the WNBA, however a regional play the place you place an anchor proper in the course of the nation that clearly we expect is effective,” Lengthy stated.
Patrick Mahomes talks about why he’s attempting to deliver a WNBA workforce to KC
‘I really like sports activities, I understand how a lot town loves sports activities so let’s deliver as many sports activities in right here and showcase how nice Kansas Metropolis is.’ pic.twitter.com/fHP3hBSs2n
— Sports activities Radio 810 WHB (@SportsRadio810) October 31, 2024
The Chiefs quarterback, who joined the Present’s possession group in Jan. 2023, has repeatedly been outspoken about his need to deliver a WNBA franchise to Kansas Metropolis. This fall he stated doing so was a “no-brainer” and cited the Present’s success as a replicable roadmap.
“I do know if we had been capable of get a WNBA workforce to Kansas Metropolis, it will be packed each single evening,” Mahomes stated final week. “That’s simply the kind of environment that we have now. I’m hoping we are able to get that performed and we are able to proceed to push ladies’s sports activities ahead.”
A Kansas Metropolis franchise could be the second WNBA workforce to share majority possession with an NWSL membership, becoming a member of the Portland WNBA group which additionally owns the Thorns.
Nashville
Nashville Predators proprietor Invoice Haslam and his spouse, Crissy, introduced that they had submitted a bid for a franchise. The workforce could be known as the Tennessee Summitt, a nod to former Tennessee Girl Vols coach Pat Summitt. Candace Parker, Peyton Manning, Religion Hill and Tim McGraw would even be a part of the possession group.
Philadelphia
The possession group behind the Philadelphia 76ers, Harris Blitzer Sports activities & Leisure, is trying to deliver a franchise to town, a HBSE spokesperson confirmed to The Athletic. The 76ers had made their curiosity recognized earlier final month when proprietor Josh Harris, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and Philadelphia mayor Cherelle Parker introduced a plan to construct a brand new stadium within the metropolis. Comcast purchased a minority stake in HBSE — which owns the Sixers, New Jersey Devils and different sports activities properties — and shall be part of the bidding group.
What the WNBA stated concerning the course of
At her annual WNBA Finals information convention final October, Engelbert stated the WNBA wish to have its sixteenth franchise start play in 2027 however goals to launch it no later than 2028. She added that there are “10 to 12 cities which are very viable that we’re evaluating.” Key components embrace a franchise’s enviornment, observe facility, participant expertise facilities, possession dedication and metropolis demographics and market analysis.
“It’s advanced since you want an enviornment and a observe facility and participant housing and all of the issues, you want dedicated long-term possession teams,” Engelbert stated. “The good factor is we’re getting plenty of calls.”
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Monica Wright Rogers employed as GM of WNBA’s Toronto enlargement workforce
What the WNBA beforehand seemed for
Possession ties to the NBA are one commonality between the three latest enlargement teams. Joe Lacob, the bulk proprietor of the NBA’s Warriors, can be the bulk proprietor of the Valkyries. Larry Tanenbaum and Kilmer Sports activities Ventures personal and function the Tempo in addition to the NBA’s Raptors.
Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal personal the Portland WNBA franchise. Their household is an investor within the NBA’s Kings, and their father, Raj, is the Kings principal co-owner and serves as majority proprietor Vivek Ranadive’s alternate on the NBA’s board of governors. In wanting towards its subsequent franchise, the WNBA may select an possession group with NBA ties or look to an impartial group. Among the many 9 teams listed above, solely Nashville, Austin and Kansas Metropolis usually are not in NBA markets.
Amenities — each arenas and observe gyms — have been particularly essential within the WNBA’s decision-making course of, and up to date participant motion in free company displays the significance gamers are placing on high-quality experiences. It’s no shock that potential franchises have usually made clear their main and second facility plans.
Timeline for a brand new franchise
October 2023
The WNBA introduced it awarded the Golden State Warriors possession group the league’s thirteenth workforce. The Valkyries, as they’d later be named, had a 12 months and a half to organize for his or her first sport, which is able to tip off in Might.
Might 2024
The league introduced its 14th franchise, later named the Toronto Tempo two years earlier than they play their first sport.
September 2024
The WNBA named Portland as the positioning of the league’s fifteenth franchise final September, giving the workforce round 20 months of preparation between its announcement and tip.
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If the sixteenth franchise had been to start play in 2027, it wouldn’t be shocking to see an announcement this fall to be able to give that workforce an identical quantity of preparation. If the league determines a sixteenth franchise ought to enter in 2028, then it’s honest to count on an announcement in 2026.
What’s the newest with Toronto, Portland and different cities?
With the Valkyries debuting this Might, the league’s enlargement course of is popping to franchises in Toronto and Portland, each of which is able to start play in 2026. In late January, the Toronto Tempo employed former Phoenix Mercury assistant common supervisor Monica Wright Rogers as their first GM, a league supply confirmed to The Athletic. Wright Rogers, who performed within the WNBA for seven seasons after a embellished profession on the College of Virginia, was additionally into consideration for the GM position in Washington this offseason earlier than she was employed as Toronto’s high basketball decision-maker, league sources stated.
Though Toronto already unveiled its title, started promoting merchandise, and employed each its workforce president and GM, Portland has but to make many public bulletins. It plans to create a observe facility that can home each town’s WNBA franchise in addition to the NWSL’s Thorns (the 2 share possession). In response to Entrance Workplace Sports activities, it hopes to have a reputation by the spring.
Some teams that had reportedly proven curiosity haven’t positioned formal bids. Former WNBA president Donna Orender was a part of a bunch that explored the potential for bringing a WNBA franchise to Jacksonville, however she instructed The Athletic that she didn’t submit a bid. As an alternative, Orender lately helped launch a brand new skilled ladies’s basketball league, the Upshot League, primarily based in 4 cities, together with Jacksonville. Although the Milwaukee Bucks possession group reportedly had an curiosity in bringing a WNBA workforce to Wisconsin, it didn’t file a proper bid with the WNBA, a Bucks spokesman stated.
(Picture: Alika Jenner / Getty Pictures)