The WNBA is set to expand even more, and a major basketball town is set to be rewarded.
The city of Cleveland is expected to land a WNBA franchise. Cleveland has been the home of the Cavaliers since 1970, and now, another pro basketball team is set to head to The Land.
Sports Business Journal reported the big news on Sunday on the proposed expansion.
“The WNBA is preparing to award Cleveland its 16th franchise,” SBJ’s Tom Friend wrote. Friend added its valuation is set to be around $250 million. That proposed figure would be a league record, said SBJ.
The WNBA has undergone significant growth over the past few seasons. An expansion franchise will begin its first season later this year, as the Golden State Valkyries are set to join the league. Popularity in the Bay Area has obviously skyrocketed over the last decade for basketball, so those fans will be appeased. The Toronto Tempo will also join the league in 2026.
Cleveland is set to join the league and it’s possible they don’t stop there. Many other cities have potentially been on the map for expansion, and with the league’s focus increasing, we could see more cities receive good news soon.
Cities like Detroit, Houston, Miami, and Philadelphia could be next as the league prepares its next steps to expand.
Cleveland will gain its franchise in 2028.
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022