Eminem joins forces with Detroit investors to help bring WNBA back to Motor City

DETROIT – The WNBA is looking for expansion opportunities, with cities across the United States and Canada vying for a coveted spot.

Among the contenders is Motorcity, where a group of investors, led by Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores alongside General Motors CEO Mary Barra, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, and Naismith Basketball hall of famers (former Pistons forwards) Grant Hill and Chris Webber joined with the hopes of bringing women’s hops back to the city.

According to USA Today, those groups of investors, with the help of Gores’s wife Holly, have enlisted the help of rapper Eminem to bolster their bid.

Detroit is eager to welcome the WNBA back, having previously hosted the Detroit Shock from 1998 to 2009.

The Shock secured three championships during their tenure before relocating to Tulsa, Arlington, and becoming the Dallas Wings.

With the help of a big figure like Marshall Mathers (Eminem), who has significant star power, his name alone brings value to the already star-studded high rollers in the city.

Eminem’s involvement is expected to enhance the city’s chances of securing a WNBA team.

The investment group he’s joining was outbid by a WNBA record upwards of $250 million by Cleveland, who expect to be awarded the Rockers as the league’s new expansion team for the 2028 season.

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Reports indicated that the WNBA is considering at least one more franchise alongside Cleveland to expand the league to 18 teams and possibly 20 by 2030.

With the Rockers’ return, Detroit, according to reports, along with Philadelphia, Houston, Nashville, and Miami, are potential expansion-landing spots.

But now, with the city buzzing around its sports teams alongside the star power of former players and owners with the cache of Eminem, don’t be surprised if Detroit gets awarded next.