Women’s basketball is booming—and three more cities are getting in on the action.
The WNBA announced on Monday (PH Time), July 1 that Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia are joining the league by 2030, pushing its total number of franchises to 18 in a landmark expansion effort that stretches across the next five years.
🚨HISTORIC MOMENT ALERT🚨
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 30, 2025
The W is leveling UP — three new teams, three new cities, one unstoppable future. ?
Say hello to our newest expansion teams:
🟣 @clevelandwnba - coming 2028
🔵 @DetroitWNBA - coming 2029
🔴 @philawnba - coming 2030
New energy. New legacies. New era.…
Cleveland will debut in 2028, followed by Detroit in 2029, and Philadelphia in 2030, pending final approval from the WNBA and NBA Board of Governors.
All three franchises will be owned and operated by current NBA ownership groups. Dan Gilbert’s Rock Entertainment Group (Cleveland Cavaliers), Tom Gores and the Detroit Pistons, and Josh Harris’ Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (Philadelphia 76ers) headline the newest additions to the WNBA family.
“The demand for women’s basketball has never been higher,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement.
She added: “This historic expansion is a powerful reflection of our league’s extraordinary momentum, the depth of talent across the game."
The new cities follow previously announced expansion markets in Toronto and Portland, both of which will join the league in 2026.
Cleveland and Detroit are no strangers to the WNBA. The Rockers were one of the league’s original teams from 1997 to 2003, while the Shock played from 1998 to 2009, winning three titles during their run.
All smiles today at the @wnba offices. ?
— Cleveland WNBA (@clevelandwnba) June 30, 2025
Detroit’s return is backed by a high-profile investor group that includes ex-NBA stars Grant Hill and Chris Webber, and Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff.
Basketball has a deep legacy in Detroit…
— Detroit WNBA (@DetroitWNBA) June 30, 2025
The @WNBA is coming back to the Motor City in 2029!
Philadelphia, meanwhile, will be the newest of the three additions and plans to move into a new arena that is projected to open by 2030. The team will play temporarily in existing venues such as Wells Fargo Center or Xfinity Live until construction is complete.
Welcome to Philly, @wnba!
— PhilaWNBA (@philawnba) June 30, 2025
The WNBA’s future isn’t just bright—it’s expansive. What started as a 12-team league is growing by nearly 50% in just half a decade.
It’s no longer a question of whether women’s basketball is having a moment—it’s about how far, how fast, and how high it can go.
And for Cleveland, Detroit, and Philly, the countdown has already begun.
