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Detroit may soon reclaim its place in the WNBA, with a little help from one of its favorite native sons.
According to Sportico, Eminem has reportedly joined a potential ownership group led by Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores and includes other sports figures and entrepreneurs that is bidding to bring a WNBA franchise back to the Motor City.
If the bid is approved, the team will play its home games at Little Caesars Arena, the current venue for both the Pistons and Red Wings. The announcement marks a significant step forward for Detroit as a potential WNBA city, with the addition of a professional women’s basketball team in the coming years.
A view of the court WNBA Logo taken before a game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. The Sparks defeated the Shock 85-63.
Danny Moloshok/Allsport
The WNBA has been in a period of expansion, with expectations that it would select one new team in the coming years. However, recent reports suggest that this number could increase to three new teams, potentially welcoming Detroit back into the fold of the league.
Prior to the league’s current expansion period, the WNBA already planned to add franchises in San Francisco, Toronto, and Portland, set to begin play in the 2025 season. All of these new franchises, along with many of the bidders in this current round, are backed by NBA owners, reflecting a growing interest in bringing top-tier women’s professional basketball to more cities across the country.
While specific details on the amount bid by the Detroit group remain undisclosed, sources indicate that offers from other expansion candidates have reached amounts “well into the nine figures.”
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
The deadline for bids in this round of expansion passed at the end of January, with cities like Austin, Charlotte, Cleveland, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Nashville, and Philadelphia also submitting their own proposals. Currently, the average WNBA franchise is valued at about $96 million, with the Las Vegas Aces leading the league at a valuation of $140 million.
This ownership coalition includes notable names such as Sheila Ford Hamp, the owner of the Detroit Lions, Denise Ilitch, the owner of the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers, and Arn Tellem, a longtime sports agent who is now a Pistons executive.
The group also boasts former NBA stars Grant Hill and Chris Webber, Lions quarterback Jared Goff, General Motors CEO Mary Barra, sports investor Roger Ehrenberg, and Steve Jbara, the founder of the G League team in Grand Rapids. Given the prominence of the ownership group behind Detroit’s bid, it’s clear that the Motor City is poised to be a strong contender.
(L-R) Ruth Riley #00, Cheryl Ford #35, Swin Cash #32, Deanna Nolan #14 and Barbara Ferris #54 of the Detroit Shock celebrate on the podium after defeating the two-time champion Los Angeles Sparks in Game three of the 2003 WNBA Finals on September 16, 2003 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The Shock won 83-78, taking their first WNBA Championship.
Tom Pidgeon/Getty Images
Should Eminem and his group’s bid be approved, this will not be the first time Detroit has seen a professional women’s basketball team. The Detroit Shock entered the WNBA in 1998 as part of the league’s first expansion wave.
The team quickly achieved success, winning three WNBA championships within its first decade. However, in 2009, the Shock was relocated to Oklahoma, where it became the Tulsa Shock, before ultimately moving to Dallas and becoming the Dallas Wings.
Eminem’s involvement continues to grow his relationship with his hometown’s sports organizations, as the rapper’s presence at various Detroit Lions games and celebrations in recent years has added to the newfound hope felt by sports fans within the city.
John Smolek/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
