WNBA Expands to Golden State in 2025, more to come soon

[TBGKon]

Golden State for 2025, Portland finalizing details and likely to be soon as well.

 

 

[BrySmalls]

WNBA pivots from Sacramento to San Francisco. Seems the League is hoping that the second time is the charm for Portland.

[GDAWG]

it's about time the WNBA expanded.  Far too many WNBA players (including players drafted in the first round of the WNBA Draft) have been released and due to roster crunches, don't sign with other teams right away.  

[McCall]

So I'm guessing Minnesota gets moved to the East? (Like, perhaps, the Timberwolves should)

 

Dallas is closer to Phoenix and other West teams than the Lynx are, who are closer to Chicago, Indiana, etc.

[TBGKon]

Just now, McCall said:

So I'm guessing Minnesota gets moved to the East? (Like, perhaps, the Timberwolves should)

 

Dallas is closer to Phoenix and other West teams than the Lynx are, who are closer to Chicago, Indiana, etc.

At least for now that would make sense.  If Portland also joins, Dallas could move East too

[McCall]

8 minutes ago, TBGKon said:

At least for now that would make sense.  If Portland also joins, Dallas could move East too

Only one team would switch if they go to 14.

[GDAWG]

Also if things go to plan, both Golden State and Denver (or whoever is 14) could have their choice of Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, provided none of them enter in 2024.  

[GDAWG]

 

[nickp91]

lets bring back the Detroit Shock and the Houston Comets They should have never left

[GDAWG]

11 minutes ago, nickp91 said:

lets bring back the Detroit Shock and the Houston Comets They should have never left

 

The Shock are theoretically still around, they just play in Dallas now, as the Wings  

[4_tattoos]

Honestly I find it odd the WNBA hasn't gone to the Bay Area until now. Would have thought The Bay would have been a more attractive location for the league than Sacramento for one of the original 8 teams.

[The_Admiral]

On 10/5/2023 at 2:02 PM, GDAWG said:

 

lol MLSE is not giving up summer dates at an 18,000-seat arena to the WNBA unless five separate Tragically Hip tribute bands all cancel. They'd play at the CNE or Mississauga and either would be perfectly fine for a low-cost, fun-for-the-whole-family event that struggles to draw.

[The_Admiral]

spartacat_12 is continuing his tradition of excellence by passive-aggressively eyerolling or thumbs-downing every post I make. Which figure do you think season attendance for a Toronto WNBA team would be closer to: 150,000 or 360,000?

[Jer15]

I assumed that the WNBA would find a permanent home in the Coca-Cola Coliseum or Paramount Centre (sharing it with Raptors 905 makes some sense to me) while playing bigger games like home openers and playoff games at Scotiabank.

 

I admit that's 120% just my assumption and I didn't read that anywhere but it seems logical to me. 

[MJWalker45]

On 10/8/2023 at 9:12 PM, 4_tattoos said:

Honestly I find it odd the WNBA hasn't gone to the Bay Area until now. Would have thought The Bay would have been a more attractive location for the league than Sacramento for one of the original 8 teams.

If the Warriors were in San Francisco instead of Oakland that may have been the case.  I think the new arena wanting more income helps get the team there as well. I also think the only reason Cleveland was even involved in the original 8 was that Columbus had a team in the ABL. 

[ManillaToad]

14 hours ago, the admiral said:

spartacat_12 is continuing his tradition of excellence by passive-aggressively eyerolling or thumbs-downing every post I make. Which figure do you think season attendance for a Toronto WNBA team would be closer to: 150,000 or 360,000?

 

 Cmon brother you're above complaining about emoji reactions, especially in a WNBA thread of all things

[GriffinM6]

2 hours ago, Jer15 said:

I assumed that the WNBA would find a permanent home in the Coca-Cola Coliseum or Paramount Centre (sharing it with Raptors 905 makes some sense to me).

This is what Atlanta does. The Dream used to play at FKA Philips Arena, and then at Georgia Tech's McCamish Pavilion, and now they play at the Gateway Center Arena where the College Park Skyhawks also play. It's only a 3,500-seat venue for basketball, so I imagine they get a decent crowd for home games. 

[TBGKon]

3 hours ago, GriffinM6 said:

This is what Atlanta does. The Dream used to play at FKA Philips Arena, and then at Georgia Tech's McCamish Pavilion, and now they play at the Gateway Center Arena where the College Park Skyhawks also play. It's only a 3,500-seat venue for basketball, so I imagine they get a decent crowd for home games. 

I think Washington shares with the G League team as well.

[4_tattoos]

9 hours ago, MJWalker45 said:

If the Warriors were in San Francisco instead of Oakland that may have been the case.  I think the new arena wanting more income helps get the team there as well. I also think the only reason Cleveland was even involved in the original 8 was that Columbus had a team in the ABL. 

Realistically couldn't they have just put a team in San Jose? Wouldn't that be considered better than Oakland? I know there was an ABL team in San Jose, but didn't the two leagues run during different times of year? (ABL in fall vs WNBA in summer). I doubt the ABL had enough clout to get exclusive rights to the Bay Area market, the city of  San Jose or the arena in San Jose.

[The_Admiral]

11 hours ago, MJWalker45 said:

If the Warriors were in San Francisco instead of Oakland that may have been the case.  I think the new arena wanting more income helps get the team there as well. I also think the only reason Cleveland was even involved in the original 8 was that Columbus had a team in the ABL. 

I was always under the impression that the WNBA charter teams were sort of an opt-in from interested NBA ownership. In Oakland in 1997, that would have been the odious Chris Cohan, who wasn't even interested in his actual team. 

 

The joke on the playground at the time was that the Bulls couldn't have a sister team because no one would want to play for the Chicago Cows.

 

  

9 hours ago, GriffinM6 said:

This is what Atlanta does. The Dream used to play at FKA Philips Arena, and then at Georgia Tech's McCamish Pavilion, and now they play at the Gateway Center Arena where the College Park Skyhawks also play. It's only a 3,500-seat venue for basketball, so I imagine they get a decent crowd for home games. 

The Chicago Sky bounced between the UIC Pavilion and the Horizon, then settled into the new DePaul arena south of downtown. They've done respectably at every stop but the thought of them at the United Center is ridiculous.