Expansion conversation has been circulating for years now, yet the WNBA has not taken the opportunity to grow in 15 years. Atlanta was the last expansion city, in 2008.
But league commissioner Cathy Engelbert reiterated on Monday that expansion has remained at the top of the agenda for the 2023 season. She didn’t mince words when speaking to reporters, telling them that expansion is “needed” in the league.
“Obviously, we’re working very hard on expansion,” Engelbert said. “This is really something I think we need to do, not just because of opening up potentially 12 to 24 roster spots, but also with a league that’s the longest-tenured women’s professional league in the country by double any other, we need more than 12 teams.”
Some of the biggest concerns about expansion, however, stem from where to place teams: not only which cities will provide the most growth for a blossoming league, but also what stadiums to utilize in the wake of expansion.
MORE: How many teams are there in the WNBA?
Partnership with NBA team markets is also a real possibility. Logistically speaking, there’s a good chance a pre-existing, healthy and thriving basketball market could do the trick for WNBA expansion.
Some cities already have “sibling teams.” The Nets and Liberty both play in…
