The WNBA and NBA Board of Governors have approved expansion teams for Detroit, Cleveland, and Philadelphia. Detroit’s team is scheduled to begin play in 2029, while Cleveland will start in 2028 and Philadelphia in 2030.
Detroit, Cleveland, and Philadelphia were initially awarded expansion franchises last summer, and last week’s vote by the WNBA and NBA Board of Governors formally cleared the teams to move forward.
The still-unnamed Detroit franchise will play its home games at Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit, bringing at least 22 additional sporting events to the city each year.
The approval follows reports that the Detroit ownership group, led by Pistons owner Tom Gores and his wife, Holly, raised $325 million to launch the team, surpassing the reported $250 million expansion fee. Sportico reported that Gores holds a 40% stake in the Detroit franchise.
Pistons officials declined to comment on last week’s report and did not immediately respond Thursday following the league’s approval.
The Detroit bid also includes plans for a public sports center and youth development academy aimed at expanding access to youth athletics in the city. The proposed facility would include basketball and volleyball courts, fields for soccer, football, and lacrosse, and spectator seating.
The broader facilities plan also calls for a dedicated WNBA practice facility and team headquarters. That space would include courts, a locker room, workout facilities, and office and lounge space for players and staff.
Detroit’s WNBA bid was submitted in January 2025 by a group of investors that includes Arn and Nancy Tellem, Sheila and Steve Hamp, Jared and Christen Goff, Mary and Tony Barra, Chris Webber, Grant Hill and Tamia, and KC and Ashley Crain. Rapper Eminem also expressed interest in joining the effort, though it has not been publicly confirmed whether he formally signed on.
Detroit has a strong history with the league. The Detroit Shock debuted in 1998 as one of the WNBA’s first expansion teams and won championships in 2003, 2006, and 2008. The team played at The Palace of Auburn Hills and remains part of league attendance history. The Shock drew more than 160,000 fans across 17 home games in 2004, the season after winning their first title. The franchise still holds the WNBA single-game attendance record after 22,076 fans attended Game 3 of the 2003 WNBA Finals.
The Shock left metro Detroit after the 2009 season and moved to Tulsa under new ownership. The team had been owned by longtime Pistons owner Bill Davidson. After Davidson died in March 2009, his widow Karen Davidson sold the franchise.
The WNBA currently has 14 teams. Toronto Tempo and a Portland franchise are set to begin play this spring.