Toronto will begin play in the W in 2026 and Portland will put the league up to 15 teams. The WNBA’s goal is to have 16 teams within the next few years and Philadelphia should be next in line for expansion.
The WNBA Finals concluded with the New York Liberty capturing their first championship in franchise history. As the league continues to expand to Oakland, California (Golden State Valkyries), and Portland, there is a possibility for more expansion.
Kansas City Chief quarterback Patrick Mahomes announced that he would like to bring a team to Kansas City. On the flip side, there is one city that should be considered and that is Philadelphia.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has announced that the league is considering Philadelphia, Toronto, Denver, Nashville, and South Florida as potential cities for WNBA expansion, per @YahooSports pic.twitter.com/7FC2k6IqqR
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 16, 2024
The WNBA Commissioner indicated earlier in the year that Philadelphia is on the list for expansion. The question was brought up in the Finals and she dodged it rather smoothly.
On Dec. 6, Golden State will hold its expansion draft, and its journey in the W will begin. The franchise will begin play in 2025 and may be able to steal some key players from other WNBA teams.
Toronto will begin play in the W in 2026 and Portland is a team in the works which will put the league up to 15 teams. Engelbert’s goal is to have 16 teams within the next few years.
Here are a few reasons why Philadelphia should be the 16th expansion team.
The Culture
Philadelphia should be an expansion team because of the culture of the city. As of now, the city has five major professional teams (Eagles, Flyers, Phillies, 76ers and Union).
Adding a WNBA team will fit because of the support between all five major sports and the passion that the city has for their sports.
Philly has a rich culture when it comes to music, art, food, and overall diversity. With the incoming wave of new support for the W, whether negative or positive, Philadelphia will embrace a team with welcoming arms.
Currently, women outrank men 105.5 to 100 in the City of Brotherly Love, which means women will be in full support. Phoenix Mercury superstar and Philadelphia native Kahleah Copper makes sure to give back to her city.
Copper recently spoke about the importance of athlete activism and she visits local schools to speak with the youth.
City Official buy-in
When professional leagues try to expand and consider new cities there are a few variables that are considered. Normally the city has to find a location to play, funding, capital, and support and receive a majority vote from the league.
Philadelphia has all of the aforementioned variables. The city has support from Mayor Cherelle Parker who is adamant about bringing a WNBA team to the city.
The city has been in contact with the W and has made it clear they want a team. If Philly is granted an expansion team, they could share the Wells Fargo Center (until the new arena is complete) with the Sixers or the city could outsource another gym.
Similar to other teams owned by an NBA team, the resources will be spread to the team, which would handle a majority of the funding aspect.
Copper, Dawn Staley and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton are from Philadelphia and are ambassadors for the game and why the city deserves a franchise.
Geographic buy-in
Lastly, Philly should be the next expansion team because of the location and easy access to the city. Fans are more inclined to travel near neighboring teams if they can access it via train, car, or bus.
The Washington Mystics, New York Liberty and Atlanta Dream fans can access Philadelphia more easily than teams across the globe. Not to mention, the implementation of charter flights will make it easier as well.
Philly will help add another stream of revenue and support for the WNBA. Young women from across the city of Philadelphia and the state of Pennsylvania will be inspired by the power of these athletes.