WNBA expansion is on the horizon, with three new teams set to join the league.
The WNBA made the massive announcement during a news conference at its headquarters on Monday morning, revealing that there will be 18 franchises in operation by 2030.
Per the announcement, WNBA teams will be coming to Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Detroit, though not all at the same time. The plan, however, is to have all three of them by the aforementioned year.
“Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Detroit will bring the WNBA to 18 teams—the most in league history,” Front Office Sports reports. “The WNBA will stagger each teams inclusion into the league with all three set to be operating by 2030.”
Cleveland will be the first of the three cities to roll out its team and expects to begin playing by 2028. Detroit will follow, while Philadelphia will tip off its first season in 2030.
The Last WNBA Expansion Also Brought 3 New Teams
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The last WNBA expansion saw the introduction of three teams, including Toronto and Portland, which will begin playing in 2026. The Golden State Valkyries are midway through their inaugural season.
Before the Valkyries, the league had not added any new teams since 2008, when the Atlanta Dream came about.
The WNBA started off with eight teams in 1997, adding another two by the following year. It had grown to 16 teams by 2000, its most ever, but franchises began shutting down from 2003.
The Miami Sol, Portland Fire, Detroit Shock, and Cleveland Rockers all collapsed, and by 2010, the league was down to 12 franchises. It remained that way until this season, when Golden State’s new team began its campaign.
Philadelphia will be the only city in this upcoming WNBA expansion that has never had a team. Known for its overly passionate fans, it could be the most interesting of the expansion cities.
