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WNBA announced on Monday that it will be expanded to 18 teams by the end of 2030, with franchises on their way to Philadelphia, Detroit and Cincinnati.
It is still growth for the league that has the Golden State Valkyries, its 13th team playing in its preliminary season. Toronto and Portland will get teams next season.
Despite several options, a WNBA star is not exactly excited about the move.
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Indiana Fever -vagt Sophie Cunningham runs up the field during a game against Dallas Wings at the American Airlines Center 27. June 2025. (Jerome Miron/Imag- Pictures)
Sophie Cunningham, a teammate of Caitlin Clark, on the Indiana fever, praised the league for her efforts and said, “You will also listen to your players,” while they doubt players will be happy to be in the Midwest.
“Like, where will they play? Where are they going to be happy to play and draw fans? I think Miami would have been a big one. Everyone loves Florida. Nashville is a fantastic city. Kansas City – Great opportunity. There is a huge arena in the center that no one uses,” Cunningham added Tuesday afternoon. “I’m not so sure what the thought process is there.
“At the end of the day you do not want to expand our league too quickly. We do not want teams to dominate and some that are not. It is a tough situation but man I do not know how excited people should go to Detroit or [Cleveland]”
Each city of Cunningham mentioned made a bid for expansion.
Indiana Fever Guard Sophie Cunningham in the second half against Connecticut Sun at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis 17 June 2025. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imag images)
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This marks the second time WNBA will be in Detroit. Shock won three WNBA titles before moving to Tulsa in 2010. They then moved to Dallas to become the wings.
Cleveland will start playing in 2028, Detroit in 2029 and the Philadelphia season after, if they assume they get approval from NBA and WNBA Board of Governors.
“The demand for women’s basketball has never been higher, and we are happy to welcome Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia to the WNBA family,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “This historic expansion is a strong reflection of our league’s extraordinary momentum, the depth of talent across the game and the growing demand for investment in women’s professional basketball.”
Other cities to submit an expansion bid were St. Louis, Austin, Denver, Charlotte and Houston, the latter of which had the comets who won the first four WNBA championships.
Indiana Fever Guard Sophie Cunningham poses for a photo 30 April 2025 under Indiana Fever Media Day at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Grace Smith/Indystar/USA Today Network via Imag images)
“There are a number of cities that obviously offer, and one of the ones I would shout – because they have such a strong story in this league and their great ownership group – are Houston,” Engelbert said. “The Houston comments were just an astonishing, the first four inauguration championships in WNBA. So I would say that is the one we are obviously watching. (Owner) Tilman (Fertitta) has been a big supporter of WNBA and we will keep up to it.”
