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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Tennessee is considered by many as the mecca for women’s basketball after years of producing some of the top players and coaches.
Nashville possibly could be home to the state’s first professional women’s basketball team in the WNBA.
Prior to the announcement of the Tennessee Summit, Black women have been laying the groundwork for this to become a reality.
“This city deserves a professional women’s team. They’ve been wanting it,“ said WNBA player Alysha Clark, who is from Mount Juliet. ”You had two NCAA women’s final four here that crushed it through the roof.”
Former UT legend and WNBA champion Candace Parker is among the investors of the Tennessee Summit.
“She’s such a tremendous asset on how to build a team and how to build it right. Her input is absolutely gigantic,” said a speaker during the introduction presser.
As that offer gets considered, another league, Athletes Unlimited, is hosting an off-season basketball tournament featuring homegrown talent like Clark.
“To be able to be the league that’s laying that footprint, I hope inspires our league to give that bid to the Tennessee summit because Nashville deserves a team,” Clark said.
Former University of Mississippi women’s basketball player, Ashley Awkward, oversees operations for a recreational league called, She Got Game Nashville.
It’s a role she doesn’t take for granted.
“On the court is not enough, we need people in the back office helping make decisions, making sure people are treated fairly, making sure everybody has equal opportunity,” Awkward said.
“Something we always say is we wanna leave the game better than we found it and leave this league better than we found it and that’s what happening. its an exciting moment to be a part of,” Clark said.
If the bid is successful, the team will begin playing in the summer of 2028 at Bridgestone Arena.
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