In a sweeping move set to reshape the future of women’s basketball, the WNBA will add three new franchises in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia by 2030, joining the previously announced expansion teams in Portland and Toronto.
The announcement, made by WNBA officials, marks the most ambitious expansion effort since the league was founded in 1996.
Although the three additional teams have yet to be named, this expansion will include the Cleveland team, which is set to begin play in 2028, followed by the Detroit team in 2029 and the Philadelphia team in 2030.
The WNBA previously announced the beginning of the Golden State Valkyries, who began participation this season, along with expansion to Toronto, Canada, and Portland, Oregon, in the 2026 season.
While the expansion teams in Golden State, Toronto, and Portland cost roughly $50 million, the three new expansion teams were reportedly sold for an incredible $250 million each, according to ESPN.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a news release about the expansion that the “demand for women’s basketball has never been higher,” prompting the league to seek out additional opportunities for expansion.
“This historic expansion is a powerful reflection of our league’s extraordinary momentum, the depth of talent across the game, and the surging demand for investment in women’s professional basketball. I am deeply grateful for our new owners and ownership groups – Dan Gilbert in Cleveland, Tom Gores in Detroit, and Josh Harris, David Blitzer, David Adelman, and Brian Roberts in Philadelphia – for their belief in the WNBA’s future and their commitment to building thriving teams that will energize and inspire their communities,” wrote Engelbert.
“We are excited for what these cities will bring to the league – and are confident that these new teams will reshape the landscape of women’s basketball.”
This expansion will also welcome the return of WNBA teams to both Detroit and Cleveland, as both cities have previously hosted women’s professional basketball teams.
Detroit last hosted a WNBA team from 1998 to 2009, where the Detroit Shock won three league championships in 2003, 2006, and 2008.
The Cleveland Rockers played from 1997 to 2003 before being dismantled, with the new franchise set to be owned and operated by Rock Entertainment Group.
This expansion comes as the WNBA has experienced impressive growth in recent seasons, with the league seeing improvements in both viewership and merchandise sales last year.
While there are very few statistics available for the 2025 season, the 2024 season featured its highest attendance total in 22 years, at 2,353,735, representing a 48% improvement from the 2023 season, according to the WNBA.
These improvements also included a WNBA record two billion video views across its social media platforms and a 601% increase in merchandise sales at the WNBAStore.com and the flagship location in New York City.