WNBA to expand by 3 teams by 2030
The WNBA has been on a meteoric rise over the past few years. A new generation of players, led by Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, have fueled a new level of excitement about women's basketball. The league made a major announcement on Monday about accelerating their expansion efforts.
Advertisement
The WNBA is expanding to 18 teams over the next five years, per Doug Feinberg of The Associated Press. There will be new expansion franchises in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia.
'The demand for women's basketball has never been higher, and we are thrilled to welcome Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia to the WNBA family,' WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. '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.'
Cleveland will join the W in 2028, making it the 16th franchise in the league. Detroit will join 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030. The WNBA is also set to welcome both Toronto and Portland into the league for the 2026 season.
Each team paid a $250 million expansion fee. That is five times as much as the Golden State Valkyries paid just a few years ago.
Advertisement
Detroit and Cleveland will play at the NBA arenas that currently exist in each city. Philadelphia is planning on a new building that will be completed by 2030.
Other cities that bid on teams include St. Louis, Kansas City, Austin, Nashville, Houston, Miami, Denver, and Charlotte.
Does this mean that the Cleveland Rockers, Detroit Shock are returning to the WNBA?
D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
All three of the W's new cities have a history with women's basketball.
Both Cleveland and Detroit were once part of the WNBA in the 2000s. The ownership groups for both expansion teams said that the Rockers and Shock would be considered as the names of the new teams. However, they also noted that they would do their due diligence before deciding on what to call the new expansion franchises.
Advertisement
'Rockers will be a part of the mix for sure, but we are at this point, we're not going to commit to a brand identity because we want to really get into it with our fans, do some research, be very thorough and thoughtful in that process,' Nic Barlage, CEO of Rock Entertainment Group and the Cavaliers, said.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia had a team in the American Basketball League, which played between 1996-98.
The WNBA is hopeful that this new collection of east coast teams will create more natural rivalries with on another.
'I think there's some great historical rivalries in the NBA among these cities and, I think that will carry over to the WNBA,' Detroit Pistons vice president Arn Tellem said. 'I would love nothing more to have a rivalry like we do in the NBA with Cleveland and Indiana, Philadelphia and New York and all these great cities and, and I think we will.'
The next handful of year will be very exciting for the WNBA.
Related: Napheesa Collier, others call out WNBA officiating
Related: DeWanna Bonner's cryptic message hints at reason for Fever breakup
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Temple University and Follett Higher Education to Celebrate Grand Opening of State-of-the-Art Campus Bookstore at Paley Hall
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Temple University and Follett Higher Education, the largest campus retailer in North America, will soon celebrate the grand opening of an improved campus bookstore housed within the newly opened, LEED-certified Paley Hall. The revamped and relocated campus bookstore is designed to bring best-in-class services, products, and academic support to Temple students and faculty. "This is a tremendous moment for the entire Temple University community, and Follett is honored to be part of this newly envisioned Paley Hall," said Emmanuel Kolady, CEO of Follett Higher Education. "Spanning two floors and featuring a state-of-the-art event space, the new and improved Temple University Bookstore has been reimagined as a destination for learning, collaboration, and fun. We're excited to bring innovative product offerings, an expanded selection of Nike apparel and merchandise, and an assortment of local businesses and Philadelphia-centric products to excite and delight students, faculty, alums, and local friends and family." The new Temple University Bookstore at Paley Hall opened to the public on August 18, 2025. Paley Hall was designed by PZS Architects and S/L/A/M, with Rycon Construction leading the build. In addition to the 26,000 square foot campus bookstore, the 306,000-square-foot facility offers learning and collaboration spaces, training and simulation centers, meeting and study rooms, café areas, an expanded Social Service Annex for students, and faculty and administration offices. Paley Hall is LEED certified for sustainable design and operation and is the first on Temple's campus to request WELL certification for features that improve occupants' wellness, such as ventilation, light, fitness and comfort. "With its upgraded location and broader selection, this store is designed to be more than a retail space, it's a vibrant new space that will be a hub for connection and community," said Jonathan Reiter, Senior Associate Vice President of Business Affairs and Administration for Temple University. "We knew when we made the transition a year ago that the bookstore would eventually move to the new space. The Follett team has done an amazing job during this huge transition. Even more importantly, they are out there building relationships with the Temple community every day." With over 150 years of experience in the education industry, Follett is trusted by more than 1,000 campuses across the U.S and Canada to help drive student success and celebrate each school's unique brand. As the latest to join the Follett network, Temple University will benefit from Follett's industry perspective and expertise, giving the entire campus community a cohesive and engaging campus retail experience that truly reflects the Owl spirit. "Follett creates impressive retail spaces that exude campus pride, excitement, connection, and achievement– and that's precisely what the Temple campus community will experience at the Temple University Bookstore," says Emmanuel Kolady, Follett Chief Executive Officer. "We look forward to supporting the vibrant Temple community and enhancing the overall student experience." Follett's partnership brings an expanded assortment of merchandise, technology, and innovative solutions to the Temple community. Plans to feature products from local artists and special collections are in the works. Visitors can enter the new two-story space inside Paley Hall from 13th Street and take the stairs down one level to shop the expanded selection. For details on the full breadth of the new campus store products and flexible services, visit About the Temple University Bookstore | The Temple University Bookstore is solely devoted to serving the Temple community – offering products and services to Temple students and the local Philadelphia community both in-store and online via The Temple University Bookstore is located at 1210 Polett Walk in Paley Hall. Stop in today to meet your campus store manager, Meghan Messner. About Follett Higher Education | Higher Education is a leading educational service provider and omnichannel retailer providing students, faculty and staff, parents, and fans the course materials, learning tools and retail services needed to successfully support the academic, athletic, and collegiate journey. Follett Higher Education supports over 7.5 million students through its 1,000+ physical and online collegiate retail stores across North America. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Follett Higher Education Group LLC Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Eagles release WR to make room for another linebacker
The Eagles are still making moves as the team takes the field for the final training camp practice, and have brought in LB Chance Campbell and released WR Giles Jackson as a result. Campbell spent his first three seasons in the league with the Tennessee Titans (where he overlapped with current Eagles linebackers coach Bobby King), but landed on IR in two of them. He did play in four games his second season in 2023, but was only a small contributor. Now he'll get a chance to show what he can do on the Eagles final preseason game on Friday. It is interesting that the team would release a wide receiver to make this move. The Eagles did trade for John Metchie days prior, but Johnny Wilson had to be carted off the practice field on Tuesday, so the depth at WR isn't that great. Still, the team has less than a week to cut down to a 53-man roster, and probably have enough receiver talent to consider.
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) Down 7.9% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Rebound?
It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF). Shares have lost about 7.9% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500. But investors have to be wondering, will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Cleveland-Cliffs due for a breakout? Well, first let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the recent catalysts for Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late. Cleveland-Cliffs' Q2 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates Cleveland-Cliffs' second-quarter 2025 adjusted loss was 50 cents per share. The figure was narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 68 cents. It had reported earnings of 11 cents in the prior-year fell 3.1% year over year to $4,934 million in the quarter. The top line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4,903.4 million. Operational Highlights The company reported Steelmaking revenues of roughly $4.8 billion for the second quarter, down around 2% year over net selling price per net ton of steel products was $1,015 in the quarter, down around 9.8% year over year. It missed our estimate of $1,020. External sales volumes for steel products were roughly 4.3 million net tons, up around 7.5% year over year. It topped our estimate of 4.2 million net tons. Financial Position Cleveland-Cliffs ended the second quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $61 million, up around 5% from the prior quarter. Long-term debt increased 1.7% sequentially to $7,727 of June 30, 2025, the company had $2.7 billion in total liquidity. Outlook The company has revised its full-year 2025 guidance, reflecting updated expectations across certain key financial metrics. Capital expenditures are now projected to be approximately $600 million, down from the previously anticipated $625 million. Selling, general and administrative expenses have also been lowered to around $575 million from the earlier estimate of $600 million. Cleveland-Cliffs continues to target steel unit cost reductions of approximately $50 per net ton compared to 2024. Depreciation, depletion and amortization expenses have been revised upward to approximately $1.2 billion, primarily due to accelerated depreciation related to idled facilities. Meanwhile, cash pension and Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) payments and contributions remain unchanged at approximately $150 million. How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then? In the past month, investors have witnessed a downward trend in estimates revision. The consensus estimate has shifted -51.35% due to these changes. VGM Scores At this time, Cleveland-Cliffs has a average Growth Score of C, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with an F. Following the exact same course, the stock has a score of F on the value side, putting it in the bottom 20% quintile for this investment strategy. Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of F. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in. Outlook Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Interestingly, Cleveland-Cliffs has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (CLF) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
