• Loading stock data...
Monday, March 31, 2025
Nominations Are Open for Front Office Sports Honors! Submit Now

WNBA Star Alana Beard Leads Effort For Oakland Team

USA TODAY NETWORK/Design: Alex Brooks

A WNBA expansion team could be coming to Oakland through an investor group led by retired player Alana Beard.

The WNBA champion is partnering with the African American Sports and Entertainment Group, an organization reportedly seeking a 50% stake in the Oakland Coliseum Complex. Oakland’s Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan has been supportive of the process.

It’s not clear how much a new team would cost, but bankers estimated that the 2019 sale of the New York Liberty was in the $10 million to $14 million range.

Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has previously voiced her interest in building a league larger than the current 12 teams.

  • The 2021 regular season was the most-viewed WNBA season since 2008. Viewership increased 51% compared to 2020.
  • In May, Google joined Nike, Deloitte, and AT&T as a WNBA Changemaker.
  • That same month, Amazon purchased exclusive streaming rights to 16 WNBA games in a multiyear deal.

Charlotte, Houston, Toronto, and Philadelphia have all been identified as potential expansion cities. Natasha Cloud, Mystics point guard and Athletes Unlimited signee, said she’s trying her hardest to “bring a team back to Philly.”

Former Atlanta Dream star Renee Montgomery became the first former player to co-own a WNBA team in March.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Olivia Miles

Top WNBA Draft Prospect Opts For Transfer Portal Instead

Olivia Miles had been projected as a top-2 pick.
Columbia, SC - February 16, 2025 - Colonial Life Arena: Rebecca Lobo and Ryan Ruocco during a regular season game.

Inside Ryan Ruocco’s Rapid Rise to ESPN’s Top Voice of Women’s Hoops

The top voice became “quickly addicted” to calling the women’s game.
Paige Bueckers

Paige Bueckers Says She Will Enter 2025 WNBA Draft

The move shoots down some rumors while inviting others.

Featured Today

Brehanna Daniels

NASCAR Pit Crew Member Brehanna Daniels Didn’t Know She’d Be a Trailblazer

The first Black female tire changer didn’t know she’d be a trailblazer.
Mar 27, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Chris Youngblood (8) and the Alabama Crimson Tide bench celebrate during the second half against the Brigham Young Cougars during an East Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Prudential Center.
March 29, 2025

How Alabama Became College Basketball’s Newest Juggernaut

The Crimson Tide have found success rivaling their historic football program.
Kendall Coyne Schofield
March 25, 2025

Kendall Coyne Schofield Wants More for the Next Wave of Mom-Athletes

The Walter Cup–winning Frost captain says small changes mean “everything.”
Dec 21, 2024; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) looks to pass the ball against USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) in the first half at XL Center.
March 23, 2025

‘More Value to Be Had’: Were Women’s March Madness Media Rights Undersold?

Could the NCAA have gotten millions more in its latest TV deal?

Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions Gets PE Boost

The Hall of Famer’s company gains another prominent backer.
March 20, 2025

High School Sports Power Signs Eight-Figure Rights Deal in First

The deal pays roughly $1 million annually, FOS has learned.
March 24, 2025

Why Pro Athletes Are Getting First Look at Start-Up Deals: ‘Shark Tank’..

Rashaun Williams was an early investor in companies like DraftKings and Coinbase.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
March 20, 2025

Maxx Crosby’s Agent: Edge Rushers Set to Dominate NFL’s Non-QB Market

Maxx Crosby just signed a three-year, $106.5 million extension.
March 4, 2025

Eagles Make Saquon Barkley NFL’s Highest-Paid Running Back Ever

Barkley is coming off a historic 2024 season with the Eagles.
February 18, 2025

Tiger Woods Signs First PGA Tour Player to Wear Sun Day Red

Karl Vilips will wear Sun Day Red at his season debut at the Mexico Open.
Teammates embrace during matchup in The Hundred cricket league
February 15, 2025

Google, Microsoft, Adobe CEOs Buy Stakes in Cricket League

The England and Wales Cricket Board raised £520m by selling team stakes.