After adding three teams that are set to join in 2025-26, the league is getting a new franchise in 2028.
The WNBA now has more eyes on it than ever — with an average of 1.2 million viewers, the league’s last season was also its most watched.
Though it currently consists of 12 teams, three new ones have been added: the Golden State Valkyries will join in 2025, and Toronto and Portland are set to debut in 2026. A 16th expansion team is coming in 2028, but the bid for its location and ownership is still ongoing.
St. Louis native Jayson Tatum has reportedly expressed interest in a franchise being awarded to his hometown, according to Sportico’s Jacob Feldman, and “informally agreed to invest in the team should it come to fruition.”
An NBA collective bargaining agreement from April 2023 now allows players to own up to 4 percent of WNBA teams.
Other possible locations for the new team could include Philadelphia, Denver or South Florida. There’s also been some WNBA buzz in Boston after a sold-out game between the Sun and Sparks at TD Garden in August.
NBA stars LeBron James and Steph Curry have expressed interest in investing in the WNBA too, though nothing definitive has been announced yet.
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