Cities, and NBA franchises, jostle to integrate the WNBA, and according to the Sports Business Journalthe next franchise should see the light of day in Cleveland. It will be the 16th franchise, and she should join the championship in 2028.
Given the number of applications, the women's league should review its plans, and go very quickly from 16 to 18 franchises. The favorites for these two additional potential franchises are Philadelphia, Houston, Nashville, Detroit and Miami, although the League specifies that no decision is yet finalized.
“The WNBA has received official offers from several groups of owners interested in different markets and we are evaluating these proposals”said a WNBA spokesperson in a statement.
The Cleveland franchise should therefore join the League in three years and evolve at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. The franchise will take up the names of the Cleveland Rockers, one of the founding teams of the WNBA, dissolved after the 2003 season when the former owner Gordon Gund failed to sell it due to the drop in income and a irregular attendance.
More than twenty years later, the growing popularity of WNBA has exploded the expansion costs.
The WNBA deposits franchise names …
The Golden State Valkyries, 13th WNBA franchise which will start in May, paid $ 50 million to integrate the League, while Toronto and Portland – 14th and 15th franchises – paid $ 115 and 125 million respectively. From now on, this award has doubled.
Two weeks ago, the WNBA filed brand requests for the name Rockersas well as for three other old franchises: the Houston Comets, the Detroit Shock, the Miami Sol and the Charlotte Sting – indices on the next teams, although nothing is certain.
Soon the return of the comedians?
According to sources, Houston would be best placed to obtain the 17th franchise, in particular because the Rockets have recently built a brand new training center, and because the owner Tilman Fertitta, is determined to revive the comedians.
Philadelphia would also be a serious pretender. Sources indicate that when Josh Harris, owner of the Sixers, joined forces with Comcast to build a new room in Philadelphia, the main objective was to welcome a WNBA team alongside Sixers and Flyers (NHL).
