The proposed relocation of the WNBA’s Dallas Wings from Arlington to Downtown Dallas took a significant step on Wednesday as the Dallas City Council unanimously voted in favor of the move.
The team is likely to move downtown on a 15-year lease beginning with the 2026 season, pending approval from the league’s Board of Governors. Once approved, it will play its home games at the Dallas Memorial Auditorium at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Center.
“This proposed deal comes at a time when interest in women’s sports, the WNBA, and the Wings is at record levels, bringing a valuable community asset to a historic city venue,” Dallas Wings President and CEO Greg Bibb said in a press release. “The Wings saw record attendance in 2023, and virtually every business metric record has been, or will soon be, broken during the 2024 season. We have sold out of Season Ticket Memberships while experiencing unprecedented ticket sales growth year to date.”
The move results from the efforts of the city council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Professional Sports Recruitment and Retention, which Mayor Eric Johnson established in 2022.
“Dallas is the place to be right now –- for residents, for businesses, and for professional sports teams and their fans,” Mayor Johnson added in a press release. “This deal has been a top priority for us because we know the Dallas Wings will soar in the city they represent. We will be thrilled to welcome the Wings to the heart of our city — and we are even more excited to see this franchise anchor our new convention center district that will transform downtown Dallas for decades to come.”
The Kay Bailey Hutchinson Center and Dallas Memorial Auditorium will undergo renovations ahead of the move, which were previously planned as part of the efforts to grow the Convention Center District.
“Pending approval by the @WNBA Board of Governors, the @DallasWings plan to move to a larger arena in Downtown Dallas in 2026,” council member Chad West wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, after the vote. “I was proud to vote yes to make the Wings an anchor in our decade-long redevelopment of the Convention Center District.”
The Wings will continue to play at UT-Arlington’s College Park Center for the next two years before the expected move. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the move will significantly increase seating capacity.
Dallas Memorial Auditorium is also the former home of the Dallas Chaparrals of the American Basketball Association (ABA), who became the San Antonio Spurs in the 1970s.