WNBA Announces Expansion To 18 Teams

After adding a franchise team at the beginning of this season, the WNBA has announced that three additional teams will be joining the league in the next few years.

The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced that it is expanding to a league-high 18 teams. The three cities that will be joining the WNBA are Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia. The league has already approved teams for Golden State (which debuted its team, the Valkyries, in May), Toronto, and Portland (both franchises will play in 2026). The scheduled debut of the other teams will stagger, one each year, starting in 2028 with Cleveland. Then Detroit will follow in 2029, with Philadelphia making its impact the next year in 2030.

🚨HISTORIC MOMENT ALERT🚨

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.… pic.twitter.com/6ZXaHPxkEw

— WNBA (@WNBA) June 30, 2025

“The demand for women’s basketball has never been higher, and we are thrilled to welcome Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia to the WNBA family,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in a written statement. “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.”

“We are excited for what these cities will bring to the league – and are confident that these new teams will reshape the landscape of women’s basketball.”

The league stated that each team selected was based on several factors, including potential support from the city’s fanbase, the commitment from the city and state to advance the sport, the ownership groups that submitted the bids, and the support from corporate sponsors, among other factors.

The league also announced that the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark and Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier will be the captains for this year’s All-Star Game, which will take place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, July 19.

The WNBA is currently enjoying its 29th season as it has grown in popularity in recent years with the inclusion of some big names in the sport, especially last year’s rookie class, which featured Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, who brought their college rivalry to the big leagues.