WNBA Could See More Identities Resurrected With Announcement of 3 New Teams by 2030

The Women’s National Basketball Association could see more former identities resurrected in the next few years after it was announced three new expansion teams will join the league by 2030 — including in two cities that have had teams in the past.

The WNBA made the expansion announcement on Monday, June 30. Their intent is to add a team in Cleveland for the 2028 season, in Detroit for 2029, and in Philadelphia for 2030, bringing the total number of teams to 18. Both Cleveland and Detroit have previously been home to WNBA teams.

“Each location was selected based on an analysis of market viability, committed long-term ownership groups, potential for significant local fan, corporate, media, and city and state support, arena and practice facilities, and community commitment to advancing the sport, among other factors,” the WNBA said on its website.

“The demand for women’s basketball has never been higher, and we are thrilled to welcome Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia to the WNBA family. 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. I am deeply grateful for our new owners and ownership groups – Dan Gilbert in Cleveland, Tom Gores in Detroit, and Josh Harris, David Blitzer, David Adelman, and Brian Roberts in Philadelphia – for their belief in the WNBA’s future and their commitment to building thriving teams that will energize and inspire their communities. 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.”
— WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert

The Cleveland team will be owned and operated by Rock Entertainment Group, which is chaired by Dan Gilbert and also owns the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, the NBA G-League’s Cleveland Charge, and the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. The team will play its home games in the 19,000-seat Rocket Arena in downtown Cleveland.

The city was previously home to the Cleveland Rockers, one of the WNBA’s eight original teams from 1997. They played seven seasons, finishing with the best regular season record in the Eastern Conference in 1998 and 2001 but never progressing past the league semifinals in the playoffs. The Rockers folded after the 2003 season after owner Gordon Gund announced he was no longer interested in operating the team and no new owners could be found.

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There was no indication in Monday’s announcement that the Rockers name would be brought back, but rumours to that effect have been swirling since February 2024. The owners may have also given a little hint on their website. When clicking on links, a message briefly appears while pages load that reads: “Please wait, rockin’ content is loading.” That could, however, be a reference to Rock Entertainment Group.

Meanwhile, the Detroit team’s ownership group is led by Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores and his wife Holly. They’ll play home games at Little Caesars Arena, which also houses the Pistons and the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings.

The Motor City was previously home to the Detroit Shock from 1998 to 2009. The Shock won three WNBA championships (2003, 2006, 2008), ranked in the top five for attendance for five straight seasons, and once set a single-game attendance record of 22,076 for Game 3 of the 2003 WNBA Finals.

Primary Logo (1998-2002)

Primary Logo (2003-2009)

Secondary Logo (2003-2009)

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The Shock were sold and relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2010, but retained their nickname. The franchise was then relocated to Dallas in 2015, where they remain today as the Dallas Wings.

As noted earlier this month when it was reported that the Portland WNBA expansion team, slated to start playing in 2026, might resurrect its previous Fire nickname, the WNBA has filed for trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for several defunct team nicknames. These include both the Cleveland Rockers and the Detroit Shock, as well as the Charlotte Sting and the Miami Sol.

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When they join the league in 2030, the Philadelphia team will be the first WNBA franchise in that city. The team is owned by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), which also owns the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, the NBA G-League’s Delaware Blue Coats, and the AHL’s Utica Comets. The FAQs on the team’s website say it will play “in South Philadelphia alongside the Philadelphia 76ers”; HBSE is building a new arena in South Philadelphia, which is slated to open in 2031.

WNBA expansion has gone into overdrive in the past few years, with the Golden State Valkyries hitting the floor this season and both the Portland team and the Toronto Tempo joining in 2026.