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The WNBA announced on Monday that it will expand to 18 teams by the end of 2030, with franchises aimed at Philadelphia, Detroit and Cincinnati.
It is a continuous growth for the League, which has Golden State Valkies, its 13th team, playing in its inaugural season. Toronto and Portland will get teams next season.
Despite more opportunities, a WNBA star is not exactly excited with the movement.
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The Indiana fever guard, Sophie Cunningham, runs along the court during a game against the Dallas Wings at the American Airlines Center on June 27, 2025. (Jerome Miron/Imagn images)
Sophie Cunningham, a Caitlin Clark’s on the Indiana Fever teammate, praised the league for her efforts, saying: “You also want to listen to your players”, while doubts of players will be excited to be in the west medium.
“As, where do you want to play? Where are you going to get excited to play and draw fans? I think Miami would have been excellent. Everyone loves Florida. Nashville is an incredible city. Kansas City, an incredible opportunity. There is a great sand in the center that nobody is using,” Cunningham added Tuesday afternoon. “I’m not so sure what the thought process is.
“At the end of the day, you do not want to expand our league too fast. We do not want the teams to dominate totally and some that are not. It is a difficult situation, but, man, I do not know how excited people are to go to Detroit or [Cleveland]”
Each city that Cunningham mentioned presented an expansion offer.
Indiana Sophie Cunningham’s guard in the second half against Connecticut Sun in Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on June 17, 2025. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn images)
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This will mark the second time the WNBA will be in Detroit. The clash won three WNBA titles before moving to Tulsa in 2010. Then they moved to Dallas to become the wings.
Cleveland will begin playing in 2028, Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia the later season, assuming that they obtain the approval of the Board of Governors of the NBA and the WNBA.
“The demand for female basketball has never been greater, and we are delighted to welcome Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia to the WNBA family,” said the WNBA commissioner, Cathy Engelbert. “This historical expansion is a powerful reflection of the extraordinary impulse of our league, the depth of talent in the entire game and the growing demand for investment in female professional basketball.”
Other cities to present expansion offers were St. Louis, Austin, Denver, Charlotte and Houston, the last of which the comets, who won the first four WNBA championships.
Indiana Sophie Cunningham’s guard poses for a photo on April 30, 2025, during the Indian fever day in Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Grace Smith/Indiestar/USA Today Network through IMAGN images)
“There are a variety of cities that obviously offer, and one of those who wanted to shout, because they have such a strong story in this league and its large property group, it’s Houston,” said Engelbert. “Houston’s comets were simply incredible, the first four inaugural championships in the WNBA. Then, I would say that this is the indicated, obviously, we have our eye.
