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What does one of the Wahlberg brothers have to do with a former NBA Rookie of the Year? They’re part of an effort to bring a WNBA team to Boston.
According to the Boston Globe, Donnie Wahlberg and former NBA player Michael Carter-Williams are leading an ownership group that laying the groundwork for a WNBA expansion team in Boston.
“Would love nothing more than to bring a WNBA team to my home. Let the sun rise in Boston!” Carter-Williams wrote on social media.
The ownership group, known as Boston Women’s Basketball Partners, hopes to follow in the footsteps of other cities that have successfully secured a WNBA expansion team. The Golden State Valkyries are set to debut during the 2025 season. Meanwhile, new franchises in Portland and Toronto are set to join the league in 2026.
The Globe reports that Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey are throwing their support behind the WNBA bid. As noted by the Globe, the group would need to apply for a team and be approved by WNBA owners. Then the group would have to pay an expansion fee.
Boston would be following in the footsteps of Cleveland, which is expected to become the next city to land a WNBA franchise. Earlier this week, Sports Business Journal reported that the ownership group behind the Cleveland franchise will pay a record $250 million expansion fee.
The closest WNBA franchise to Boston is the Connecticut Sun, who play their home games at Mohegan Sun Casino. Boston has shown a clear interest in WNBA games. Last year, the Sun hosted the Los Angeles Sparks at TD Garden for the first WNBA game to be held in Boston.
The game was sold out.
The Globe identified a total of seven individuals involved in Boston Women’s Basketball Partners. But Wahlberg and Carter-Williams are the most recognizable.
Wahlberg, the older brother of Mark Wahlberg, is an actor and singer best known for being a member of New Kids on the Block. Carter-Williams is a native of Hamilton, Massachusetts who later played at Syracuse before being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 2013-2014 NBA Rookie of the Year, Carter-Williams played nine seasons in the NBA. His last professional appearance came with the Mexico City Capitanes of the NBA G-League.
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