Watch out, Ellie; there are some new WNBA mascots on the way. The league, which has experienced explosive growth over the past few years, announced on Monday that it will add three new teams. The lucky cities getting franchises are Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia, all of which are set to debut in the W within the next five years. This means more on-court showdowns, more off-court romance, and more women getting the opportunity to play professional basketball — a win for everyone.
“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 in a press conference. “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.”
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This is just the latest expansion of the league, which currently holds 15 teams and has new ones in Toronto and Portland scheduled to start playing in the 2026 season. The plan right now is that Cleveland’s team will enter the league in 2028, Detroit in 2029, and Philly in 2030.
Being this far out means we have lots of time to start brainstorming team names. The Cleveland Charisma? The Detroit Combustion Engines? The Philadelphia Betsy Rosses? There are no bad ideas!
