Owners of Pistons and Lions part of bid to bring WNBA team back to Detroit
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Investor group led by Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores submits bid to bring the WNBA back to Detroit:
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons)
The Detroit Shock were one of the WNBA's first expansion teams, winning three titles between 1998 and 2009. The Shock ranked in the top five for attendance for five straight seasons and led the league in that category for three consecutive seasons. Detroit set a single-game attendance record of 22,076 fans at Game 3 of the 2003 WNBA Finals.
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The new team would play at Little Caesars Arena.
'Detroit is a sports town that loves its teams deeply and consistently shows up with unwavering passion,' Gores said. 'At a critical moment in the growth and development of the WNBA, it supported the hometown team more than any other franchise in the league. We're here to rekindle that legacy.'
The bid also is supported by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. The bid includes a plan to build a dedicated practice facility and headquarters open 24 hours a day for the WNBA team. That facility would include courts, locker room, workout facilities, and office and lounge space. A sports center open to the public also would be developed.
'Michiganders are fired up,' Whitmer said. 'Our passion for our teams and players is unmatched, our commitment to our communities remains unwavering, and our vision for women's sports is crystal clear. My administration stands ready to support this franchise's success.'
The WNBA is adding three expansion teams in the next two seasons with
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Nashville announced a bid Thursday. The team would be called the Tennessee Summitt to honor the legacy of the late Pat Summitt and three-time WNBA champ Candace Parker is in the investor group along with Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and the chairman of the NHL's Predators. That bid also includes a dedicated practice facility.
A group in Nashville, Tenn., submitted a bid for a WNBA expansion team that would be called the Tennessee Summitt, honoring former University of Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt.
WADE PAYNE/Associated Press
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