New York (AFP) – The WNBA on Monday announced plans to add three more teams by 2030 amid a surge in interest in women’s basketball in North America. The new franchises continue the rapid growth of the WNBA, which this year saw the Golden State Valkyries enter the league in May.
The WNBA had already announced the launch of teams in Toronto and Portland in 2026. These will now be followed by Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029), and Philadelphia in 2030. “The demand for women’s basketball has never been higher, and we are thrilled to welcome Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia to the WNBA family,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement.
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“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.” Both Detroit and Cleveland previously had WNBA teams. The Detroit Shock played in the league from 1998 to 2009, winning championships in 2003, 2006, and 2008, while the Cleveland Rockers ran from 1997 to 2003.
The expansion comes with the WNBA booming in popularity in the United States, with the rise of a new generation of stars led by Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese driving record-breaking television ratings, attendances, and merchandise sales. The new expansion teams named on Monday emerged from a bidding process that saw more than 10 cities vying for a franchise, including Nashville, Kansas City, Houston, and Charlotte.
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