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The WNBA announced its third expansion team in the last 12 months—but it wants one more.
On Wednesday, the WNBA revealed that its 15th franchise will debut in Portland in 2026 together with a Toronto-based team, following the Golden State Valkyries, which join the league next season.
In April, commissioner Cathy Engelbert declared she is “pretty confident” the league will expand from its current crop of 12 teams to 16 teams by 2028. So with one slot available, the question remains: Where will that team play?
Potential Choices
Engelbert has laid out Philadelphia, Nashville, Denver, and South Florida as possible options for another expansion franchise.
Last year, Engelbert toured Denver to see whether the city would be fit for a team, though that has yet to materialize.
The revival of past franchises could also be explored—and one that fans have been clamoring for is the Houston Comets, the inaugural champions. Considering Engelbert mentioned South Florida as a potential location, the revival of the Miami Sol, which existed for only three years, may also be in the cards.
Boston had expansion market buzz following a sold-out game in TD Garden between the Connecticut Sun and Los Angeles Sparks last month, though they were not mentioned by Engelbert.
Geographically, because the WNBA already has several teams on the West Coast, and in the Midwest and Northeast, it would make sense for the league to target Florida, Texas, Colorado, or the Mid-South region.
Changing History
If the league fulfills Engelbert’s 16-team goal, it would tie the most number of franchises the league has ever had. The WNBA, which launched with eight teams in 1997, had 16 teams from 2000 to 2002.
Financial constraints caused several teams to fold or relocate, with the league hovering between 13 and 14 teams from 2003 to 2009 before settling into 12 teams in 2010. The league would not want to repeat history.
But it does feel different this time around—even though The Washington Post reported earlier this year that the league is still losing tens of millions every year.
In July, the WNBA, alongside the NBA, signed a media-rights deal worth $2.2 billion over 11 years. The WNBA will also receive an influx of funds from its expansion team fees, and this historic season has driven up ticket sales by over double digits across all franchises.
