KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Kansas City hasn’t had a professional basketball team since the 1980s, but that could change in the future. The WNBA is interested in expanding, and Kansas City could be a good fit.
“Kansas City is always going to be in the game when you talk about attracting great professional sports competition,” said Mayor Quinton Lucas.
The WNBA currently has 12 teams, but the league wants to expand to 16 by 2028. Lucas thinks Kansas City should be a no-brainer for a new team.
“I think Kansas City is excited,” Lucas said. “We have shown a propensity to support professional athletics and women’s athletics. I think we are the ‘belle of the ball’ if you look at CPKC Stadium, the Current, and all of the excitement.”
Lucas is not alone in his line of thinking. In a statement, KC Sports Commission President Kathy Nelson said, “Kansas City is a perfect place to support a WNBA team.”
This past week, the Big 12 Conference hosted media days for its men’s and women’s basketball programs at T-Mobile Center. The facility impressed some of the coaches, including one who said it would be a great venue for women’s professional basketball.
“This would be a great place for a WNBA team someday with the facility, the region, and the market,” said Bill Fennelly, the head coach of the Iowa State women’s basketball team.
This spring, the KC Current opened the first women’s professional sports stadium in the world. Team officials say Kansas City can support more than one women’s professional team.
“I think there is enough love and support in Kansas City sports fans’ hearts to support two women’s professional teams,” said Jocelyn Monroe, the Current’s Vice President of Marketing. “At this moment, [Kansas City] is setting a standard and going back is not an option. I think fans here will come out and absolutely support a WNBA team.”
This year, the Current became the first NWSL team in league history to sell out all of its home matches for the entire regular season. The Current say KC is the optimal place to start a women’s professional franchise.
“I don’t think you will find a place that will support the team, be behind the team on both the field of play and in the community, more than you will in Kansas City,” Monroe said. “I don’t think there is any place better to build a professional sports team’s culture than Kansas City.”
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