The WNBA is expanding. And the Detroit Pistons want to be part of it.
The Pistons on Friday became one of a handful of groups to file bids for the WNBA’s 16th team. But why is the WNBA — which is adding a 13th team for the 2025 season — continuing to expand?
In the past five years, the league has gained the stability it has been seeking since it debuted 28 years ago. And it now has a new TV contract that gives the league more exposure than ever.
It doesn’t hurt the league has Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, the sensational rookie who helped fill arenas throughout the 2024 season. But the recent growth started before she entered the league.
Let’s go deeper to explain the expansion and who Detroit will be bidding against.
When did Detroit have a WNBA team?
The Detroit Shock were in the WNBA from 1998-2009 and won three league titles (2003, 2006 and 2008).
They quickly were embraced by Southeast Michigan, drawing more than 20,000 fans for playoff games at the Palace at Auburn Hills. They went from worst in the league to winning the 2003 title behind head coach Bill Laimbeer, a two-time NBA champion center with Pistons.
However, the club moved to Tulsa for the 2010 season, and later moved to Texas and became the Dallas Wings in 2016.
SHOCK AND AWE: 20 years later, 2003 WNBA champion Detroit Shock reflect: ‘We were selfless’
Who else is bidding for a WNBA expansion team?
Besides the Pistons’ group, these ownership groups reportedly are seeking the WNBA’s 16th franchise:
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The Cleveland Cavaliers applied in late 2024. The city had one of the original franchises, but the Cleveland Rockers folded in 2003.
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A Nashville group, backed by WNBA legend Candace Parker and NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, applied Thursday. That group wants to name the team the Nashville Summitt as an homage to the late University of Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt.
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An Austin group, backed by NBA start Kevin Durant, franchise was considering applying late last year.
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Philadelphia, which has previously bid on a team, reportedly entered the race earlier in January.
What are the latest expansion teams?
The WNBA was settled at 12 teams since 2008 after the Atlanta Dream was added. After the league changed commissioners to Cathy Engelbert in 2019, she said the league was ready to pursue expansion.
Since then, the interest in expansion teams has soared with multiple suiters during each round of additions.
The league added the Golden State Valkyries, owned by the NBA Golden State Warriors, two years ago and they will start play when the 2025 season opens in May.
In 2024, the WNBA added Toronto Tempo, owned by the NBA Toronto Raptors, for the 2026 season.
Also, starting in 2026 will be the yet-to-be named Portland team, owned by the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers.
Why is the WNBA expanding
The league has a seen a tremendous jump in attendance and last season it reached new heights.
It reached the highest total attendance since 2002 (2,353,735), including154 sellouts. The average attendance was 9,807, an increase of 48% from 2023.
Even before last season’s “Caitlin Clark effect,” the 2023 season saw a 17% attendance increase over 2022. The Las Vegas Aces averaged nearly 10,000 a game (9,551) to lead the league.
Who was watching WNBA on TV?
The league had contracts with ABC, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, ION and NBA TV as 22 regular-season games received at least 1 million viewers.
The WNBA had its most watched season ever in 2024 with a 170% increase from the previous season. The league also had its seven most watched-games on ESPN.
CBS Sports saw its ratings rise by 86% for its games. It also had the most-streamed season ever on Paramount+.
Also, the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game was watched by 3.4 million viewers, 305% more than the 2023 All-Star Game.
WNBA’s new TV deal
Beginning in 2026, the league will receive about $200 million a year to broadcast games with some new TV partners.
ESPN, ABC, NBC, Peacock and Amazon will show more than 125 regular season and playoff contests each year. That will include 25 regular-season games on Disney platforms, 50 on NBC and Peacock and 30 on Amazon’s Prime Video.
The deal is for 11 years, ending in 2036.
Bill Bradley is Sports Editor at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at bbradley@freepress.com. Follow him on X @billbradleyDET.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: WNBA Detroit expansion bid: Why league is growing, who are candidates?
