Expansion conversation has been circulating for years now, yet the WNBA has not taken the opportunity to grow in 15 years. Atlanta was the last expansion city, in 2008.
But league commissioner Cathy Engelbert reiterated on Monday that expansion has remained at the top of the agenda for the 2023 season. She didn't mince words when speaking to reporters, telling them that expansion is "needed" in the league.
"Obviously, we’re working very hard on expansion," Engelbert said. "This is really something I think we need to do, not just because of opening up potentially 12 to 24 roster spots, but also with a league that’s the longest-tenured women’s professional league in the country by double any other, we need more than 12 teams."
Some of the biggest concerns about expansion, however, stem from where to place teams: not only which cities will provide the most growth for a blossoming league, but also what stadiums to utilize in the wake of expansion.
MORE: How many teams are there in the WNBA?
Partnership with NBA team markets is also a real possibility. Logistically speaking, there's a good chance a pre-existing, healthy and thriving basketball market could do the trick for WNBA expansion.
Some cities already have "sibling teams." The Nets and Liberty both play in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center, while the Lakers and Sparks share the court in Los Angeles at Crypto.com Arena. Other paired franchises include the Suns and Mercury; Wizards and Mystics; Pacers and Fever; and Timberwolves and Lynx.
There are even cities that house both NBA and WNBA teams in their own home stadiums. The Sky play at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, while the Bulls play at United Center. Other such franchises include Wings and Mavericks in Dallas and Dream and Hawks in Atlanta.
Engelbert shared a list of 10 teams that remain in contention for WNBA expansion, per Front Office Sports, including:
- Austin, Texas
- Bay Area, California
- Charlotte, N.C.
- Denver
- Nashville, Tenn.
- Philadelphia
- Portland, Ore.
- Toronto
The Sporting News ranked each of the options from best to worst below:
WNBA expansion cities, ranked
1. Denver
Give us more land-locked, mountain state teams. The Rockies now have a basketball championship thanks to the Nuggets, and Colorado as a whole does not have a professional women's sports team. The closest a team has been to the Centennial State was when the defunct Starzz were in Utah. To put a team in Colorado, making it the first in the range in 21 years, would be a monumental move in women's sports history.
2. Charlotte, N.C.
The Charlotte Sting need to make its return, for the love of the basketball gods. It would be such a good name to pair with the region's current NBA team — the Hornets — and the Sting have a legacy. Their decade in North Carolina was cut short when they folded in 2007 after serving as one of the first eight original teams from the league's first season in 1997.
Fun fact: Did you know Dawn Staley played for the Sting? She was selected ninth overall in the 1999 draft and played in Charlotte until 2005 as a point guard. She led them to the WNBA championship game in 2001, though they never won a WNBA title.
3. Toronto
The 6 proved it could be a great market for the WNBA during the preseason. On May 13, Scotiabank Arena was packed to the brim with an ear-splitting, excited crowd to watch Chicago and Minnesota square off in a historic battle.
The culture of basketball is bigger than putting the ball in the hoop in Canada: It's about going to the games and engaging with the community. That the preseason game in Toronto sold out as fast as it did speaks volumes. The Raptors would do well with a sister team.
4. Philadelphia
Do you see how Philly fans are with the Eagles? Diehard, to-the-end, out-for-blood kind of people. Now imagine them fiending over and supporting a WNBA team.
The pure energy of Philadelphia is enough to say this city needs a WNBA team sooner rather than later. It is a sports city, through and through. Engelbert is from the Philadelphia area and recognizes that. Her father actually played for Naismith Hall of Fame coach Jack Ramsay at Saint Joseph's in the 1950s.
5. Nashville, Tenn.
Nashville is one of several large tourism cities in America (especially for brides to be). They already have a reputation already for being a music dynasty, nicknamed "Music City." Why not throw the WNBA into the pot?
They have the Titans, Predators and Nashville SC to boost their athletic resume and credibility, and it would do them well to add to that with a WNBA team — much like Colorado, they do not have one, or have ever had one.
Axios reported in 2022 there were roughly 30,000 bachelorette bookings in Nashville from the BACH app alone. Why not throw a WNBA game into their special weekends?
MORE: The ultimate WNBA guide
6. Portland, Ore.
Northeast Portland is home to "The Sports Bra," a pub that gained national attention for literally only televising women's sporting events. Oregon as a state has made it clear it supports women's sports over recent years.
Remember when the University of Oregon women's basketball team made headlines during 2022 March Madness because they were skimped out on training equipment? That literally changed the tournament, helping create an even field between the divisions in the same competition.
Did you know Portland also houses the most successful NWSL team? Portland Thorns general manager Karina Leblanc told OBP that they want a sisterhood to work with.
7. Bay Area, California
California is so low on this list for a variety of reasons, though the biggest is that the Golden State is already host to 21 professional sports teams. That includes a WNBA team (see: Sparks) and four NBA teams (see: Warriors, Lakers, Kings and Clippers).
The Bay Area has several cities that could be a viable expansion market, though Oakland is above San Francisco and San Jose, simply because they have the heart. While the Athletics are the only notable team still in Oakland, their fan base is putting blood, sweat and tears into keeping the team around amid Las Vegas relocation discussions. Their passion is honorable.
The league would benefit from a team here, simply because there are already so many.
8. Austin, Texas
Austin is the only of the four biggest cities in the Lone Star State that doesn't have its own "Big Four" team (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL). Austin residents are out here rooting for all the other cities such as Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.
Giving Austin its own professional team other than Austin FC (MLS), would add another female power to its midst. The Wings already do great things there. Growth is about exposure, and putting teams in places that lack them is step No. 1. Texas is a big state with many different pinpoints to fill.