PHILADELPHIA — The WNBA is looking to expand for the 2028 season.
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said this week that she hopes to have 16 teams in the league by 2028, up from the current 12. The WNBA is adding a team next year when a Golden State franchise in San Francisco will join the league. Other cities or metropolitan areas that Engelbert said are in the running include Philadelphia; Toronto; Portland, Oregon; Denver; Nashville; and South Florida.
“Our plan and goal is to get to 16 teams in the next few years,” she said.
Engelbert said she got calls last week from two other cities the league hadn't been talking to.
Golden State will get a chance to build its roster through an expansion draft.
“It will happen before the college draft and we'll share more details when we get closer to that,” Engelbert said. “Talking to general managers and coaches and teams and owners, there will be an expansion draft this year and it will probably be in December.”
But, what about the 2028 season?
Could Philadelphia earn a WNBA team?
As Engelbert said this week, the city is already in the running to earn a WNBA franchise.
Obviously, the team has supported its NBA franchise, the Philadelphia 76ers, since 1963, and has other men's professional sports franchises that have been successful in the city.
However, Philadelphia has no major professional women's sports team, so a WNBA franchise would be a first.
In theory, the team could play its home games at the Wells Fargo Center, which is where the 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers currently play their home contests, and would likely be a member of the Eastern Conference, forming natural geographical rivalries with the New York Liberty and Washington Mystics.
Would the interest in a team be there for a Philadelphia franchise?
Only time could tell.
However, the WNBA is a league on the rise, and this year's draft had more household names like Caitlin Clark, who helped the NCAA reach its best viewership in history for women's basketball, with nearly 19 million fans watching the title game. Other well-known players being drafted include Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso and Cameron Brink.
The commissioner noted that the WNBA bought ads that ran during NCAA Tournament broadcasts, starting with the Sweet 16.
“I'm thrilled we have household names coming in,” Engelbert said. “We need to market around that.”
The WNBA regular season begins on May 14.