Timeline of the WNBA
The following is a timeline of organizational changes in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), a women's professional basketball league in the United States that began play in 1997 with 8 teams and now comprises 15 teams (scheduled to expand to 18 by 2030). This article includes expansions, contractions, and relocations.[1][2]
Timeline
[edit]Current member Former member Relocated member Future member
Summary
[edit]| Season(s) | No. of teams |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 8 |
| 1998 | 10 |
| 1999 | 12 |
| 2000–2002 | 16 |
| 2003 | 14 |
| 2004–2005 | 13 |
| 2006 | 14 |
| 2007 | 13 |
| 2008 | 14 |
| 2009 | 13 |
| 2010–2024 | 12 |
| 2025 | 13 |
| 2026–2027 | 15 |
| 2028 | 16 |
| 2029 | 17 |
| 2030 | 18 |
Relocated teams
[edit]- Orlando Miracle (1999–2002) – relocated to Connecticut, to become the Connecticut Sun (2003–present)
- Utah Starzz (1997–2002) – relocated to San Antonio to become the San Antonio Silver Stars (2003–2013), rebranded as the San Antonio Stars (2014–2017), and relocated again to Paradise, Nevada, to become the Las Vegas Aces (2018–present)
- Detroit Shock (1998–2009) – relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to become the Tulsa Shock (2010–2015) and then to Arlington, Texas, to become the Dallas Wings (2016–present)
Folded teams
[edit]- Charlotte Sting – 1997–2006
- Cleveland Rockers – 1997–2003
- Houston Comets – 1997–2008
- Miami Sol – 2000–2002
- Portland Fire – 2000–2002
- Sacramento Monarchs – 1997–2009
1997–2002: Early years
[edit]1997: Inaugural season (8 teams)
[edit]The league operated its inaugural season in 1997 with eight teams split into two conferences.[3]
| Eastern | Western |
|---|---|
| Charlotte Sting | Los Angeles Sparks |
| Cleveland Rockers | Phoenix Mercury |
| Houston Comets | Sacramento Monarchs |
| New York Liberty | Utah Starzz |
1998: First expansion (10 teams)
[edit]- The Detroit Shock and Washington Mystics were added and placed in the Eastern Conference.
- The Houston Comets moved to the Western Conference.
| Team's first season in the WNBA * | Team switched conferences ‡ |
1999: Second expansion (12 teams)
[edit]- The Minnesota Lynx and Orlando Miracle were added.
- The Miracle were placed in the Eastern Conference, while the Lynx were placed in the Western Conference.
| Team's first season in the WNBA * |
2000–2001: Third expansion (16 teams)
[edit]- The Indiana Fever, Miami Sol, Portland Fire, and Seattle Storm were added.
- The Fever and the Sol were placed in the Eastern Conference, while the Fire and the Storm were placed in the Western Conference.
| Team's first season in the WNBA (2000) * |
2002: Miami and Portland fold (16 teams)
[edit]- The Miami Sol and Portland Fire folded after the season.
| Team folded after the season † |
2003–2009: Contraction
[edit]2003: Orlando and Utah relocate, Cleveland folds (14 teams)
[edit]- The Orlando Miracle relocated to Connecticut to become the Connecticut Sun.[4]
- The Utah Starzz relocated to San Antonio to become the San Antonio Silver Stars.[5]
- The Cleveland Rockers folded after the season.
| Team folded after the season † |
2004–2005 (13 teams)
[edit]2006: Chicago added and Charlotte folds (14 teams)
[edit]- The Chicago Sky was added and placed in the Eastern Conference.
- The Charlotte Sting folded after the season.
| Team's first season in the WNBA * | Team folded after the season † |
2007 (13 teams)
[edit]2008: Atlanta added and Houston folds (14 teams)
[edit]- The Atlanta Dream was added and placed in the Eastern Conference.
- The Houston Comets folded after the season.
| Team's first season in the WNBA * | Team folded after the season † |
2009: Sacramento folds (13 teams)
[edit]- The Sacramento Monarchs folded after the season.
| Team folded after the season † |
2010–2024: Relocations
[edit]2010: Detroit relocates (12 teams)
[edit]- The Detroit Shock relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma to become the Tulsa Shock and moved to the Western Conference.[6]
| Team switched conferences ‡ |
2014: San Antonio rebrands (12 teams)
[edit]- The San Antonio Silver Stars rebranded as the San Antonio Stars.[5]
2016: Tulsa relocates (12 teams)
[edit]- The Tulsa Shock relocated to Arlington, Texas to become the Dallas Wings.[7]
2018: San Antonio relocates (12 teams)
[edit]- The San Antonio Stars relocated to Paradise, Nevada to become the Las Vegas Aces.[8]
2025–future: Expansion era
[edit]2025: Golden State added (13 teams)
[edit]- The Golden State Valkyries were added and placed in the Western Conference.[1]
| Team's first season in the WNBA * |
2026: Portland and Toronto added (15 teams)
[edit]- Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo were added.
- The Fire were placed in the Western Conference, while the Tempo were placed in the Eastern Conference.[9]
| Team's first season in the WNBA * |
2027: Connecticut Sun moving to Houston (15 teams)
[edit]In March 2026, it was reported that the Connecticut Sun were sold to the Fertitta family, owners of the Houston Rockets, for $300 million, who would move the team to Houston, previously home to the Houston Comets.[10]
2028–2030: Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia to be added (18 teams)
[edit]On June 30, 2025, the WNBA announced that it would expand to Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029), and Philadelphia (2030), bringing the total to 18 teams.[11] Cleveland and Detroit previously were WNBA markets.
Background
[edit]The WNBA's exponential growth and popularity in recent years has led to rising expansion fees. The Golden State Valkyries, the league’s 13th franchise that began play in May 2025, paid $50 million to join, while the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire — the 14th and 15th franchises scheduled to begin play in 2026 — paid $115 million and $125 million, respectively.[12]
The deadline for the next expansion bids was January 30, 2025. At the time, the bids were believed to be for a 16th expansion team. League commissioner Cathy Engelbert had said she was aiming to have the league expand to 16 teams by 2028.[13] However, as expansion fees continued to rise, the league rethought its original plan of adding just one more expansion team. Each new team will pay $250 million in franchise fees to join the league.[14]
Cleveland Sirens
[edit]Cleveland was previously home to the Rockers, one of the WNBA’s original eight members when the league began play in 1997. However, the franchise folded after the 2003 season when former owner Gordon Gund could not sell the team due to tumbling revenue and erratic attendance.[12]
The new team will play at Rocket Arena, home of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Cleveland Cavaliers.[15] On August 4, 2026, the team's name was revealed as the Cleveland Sirens.[16]
Detroit
[edit]Detroit was previously home to the Shock, one of the WNBA’s first expansion teams when it began play in 1998. Between 1998 and 2009, the Shock won three WNBA championships. However, the team’s low fan attendance led the franchise to relocate to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2009, where it played until 2015. The franchise moved again in 2015, to Arlington, Texas, and are now called the Dallas Wings.[17]
The new team will play at Little Caesars Arena, home of the NBA's Detroit Pistons.[15] The WNBA coincidentally filed a trademark application for the name “Detroit Shock” the same day Tom Gores, owner of the Pistons, submitted his offer for a WNBA expansion team, a potential sign of the league’s intentions to revive the team name.[12]
Philadelphia
[edit]Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), which also owns the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL), submitted a bid for an expansion team. When Harris partnered with Comcast on a new arena in South Philadelphia, the priority was to house a WNBA team along with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers.[18]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 Lago, Joe (April 29, 2025). "How Many WNBA Teams Are There? Running Through the History of WNBA Contraction and Expansion". SI. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
- ↑ "List of all the WNBA Teams". Basketball Reference. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
- ↑ "History of the WNBA". WNBA. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
The Eastern Conference consisted of the Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets and New York Liberty while the Western Conference comprised the Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs and Utah Starzz.
- ↑ Greene, Jim (2024). "EBSCO Knowledge Advantage". EBSCO. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
- 1 2 "San Antonio Season Statistics". WNBA. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
- ↑ "WNBA officially announces Shock move to Tulsa". ESPN. October 20, 2009. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
- ↑ Heinz, Frank (November 2, 2015). "WNBA's Tulsa Shock Gets New Name, New Home in Arlington". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
- ↑ "Las Vegas Aces". EBSCO. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
- ↑ "Teams". WNBA. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
- ↑ Kaloi, Stephanie (March 29, 2026). "Connecticut Sun's move to Houston will create a big problem for the WNBA". High Post Hoops. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
- ↑ "WNBA Announces Expansion to Historic 18 Teams With New Teams in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia". WNBA. June 30, 2025. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
- 1 2 3 Friend, Tom (February 16, 2025). "Cleveland likely to get next WNBA franchise in '28". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
- ↑ Schiffer, Alex (February 19, 2025). "WNBA Expansion Is Rapidly Accelerating". Front Office Sports. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
- ↑ Golden, Jessica (June 30, 2025). "WNBA announces three new teams in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia". CNBC. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- 1 2 Pickman, Ben; Vorkunov, Mike (February 11, 2025). "WNBA expansion: Which cities are in the running to earn the 16th team?". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
- ↑ "Cleveland Sirens – Hear The Call". August 4, 2026. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
- ↑ Burr, Alyssa (February 13, 2025). "The WNBA could be returning to Detroit more than 15 years after the Shock left". The Michigan Independent. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
- ↑ Andres, Patrick (January 31, 2025). "76ers Owners Submitting Bid to Bring WNBA Expansion Team to Philadelphia". SI. Retrieved May 29, 2025.