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It’s about time, huh.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressed the media on April 15 shortly before the draft. During her time she talked chartered flights, media deals, and, of course, expansion.
Engelbert said she hopes the league will be at 16 teams by the year 2028. Philadelphia was named as one of the cities the league is “engaged with” as a potential expansion city.
Expansion:
— Annie Costabile (@AnnieCostabile) April 15, 2024
Plan and goal is to get to 16 teams in the next few years. Talking to a lot of diff cities, Engelbert says. Philly, Toronto, Portland, Nashville, south Florida (Miami I believe she was referring to).
Engelbert says this expansion will add 48 roster spots.
The W, currently at 12 teams, will add their 13th at the start of the 2025 season. The currently unnamed Golden State franchise will join the league next season and play their games at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
Philadelphia being on the shortlist feels like a long time coming, and would likely go a long way in getting the 76ers their own arena they desperately want. The Wells Fargo Center is already packed with tenants, and finding a place to play is likely one of the biggest reasons there isn’t a WNBA team in the city already.
Regardless, the possibility of the league coming to Philadelphia is exciting.
While Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, selected first overall by the Indiana Fever Monday, won’t be on her way to Philly, perhaps the expansion could come at an opportune time. USC’s JuJu Watkins (who starred in an AT&T commercial alongside Joel Embiid for March Madness) and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo (a South Jersey native who played at Paul VI High School) were two of the most historically successful freshmen the sport has seen. Either player would be exciting for Philly’s W team to build around.
For now, we wait while hoping the city takes advantage of the rising popularity in women’s hoops.
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