When former Lady Vols basketball star Candace Parker appeared at a Nashville Predators game earlier this season alongside soon-to-be majority owner Bill Haslam, not many would have guessed it was a business meeting.
But according to Haslam, who just announced his bid for a Nashville-based WNBA franchise — to be named the Tennessee Summitt — that’s exactly what it was.
“Her competitive nature came out really quick,” Haslam recalled about the experience at the Predators game. “She didn’t know much about hockey, but after about 10 minutes, she was yelling with the best of them.”
Now Parker is joining Haslam in a venture she knows a great deal about — women’s basketball — to help bring the first professional women’s sports team to Tennessee.
“We have a track record of being a sports town that gets engaged,” Haslam said. “I think that really works to our advantage.”
How owning Nashville Predators led to Bill Haslam bidding for WNBA franchise
When Haslam announced in June 2022 that he would become majority owner of the Predators in 2025, he called Nashville’s professional hockey team a “community asset” that reaches far beyond the ice.
In the past three years, he has been inspired by the Predators’ “community-first” approach to running the business, in addition to its competitive spirit on the ice. His positive experiences working with Predators CEO Sean Henry and general manager Barry Trotz had him thinking it was time to add another branch to the city’s professional sports family tree.
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“This WNBA team will establish itself as a mainstay in the communities of Nashville and throughout the state of Tennessee,” Haslam said in a news release.
One advantage Haslam has with this WNBA venture? A fully cooperative city administration led by Mayor Freddie O’Connell.
“There’s been this level of constant improvement and refinement of the Predators’ franchise relationship with the city that has not just been anchored in this building, but at places like the Centennial Sportsplex and the (Ford Ice Centers),” O’Connell said.
According to Haslam and O’Connell, the WNBA bid is not contingent on any commitment — financial or otherwise — from the city.
“There’s a high level of credibility and a deep understanding of the quality of partnership,” O’Connell said of the potential future between the city and Haslam.
How will the Nashville Predators share Bridgestone Arena with an WNBA team?
If the WNBA awards a franchise to Nashville, the two teams will share Bridgestone Arena as their home venue.
Henry said the team is prepared to invest about $20 million in permanent logistics for housing the teams at Bridgestone Arena. He’s also excited about the way the NHL and WNBA seasons — which might overlap slightly if both teams are in the playoffs — could feed off each other.
“When the (Predators) are entering the playoffs, we’re launching the (WNBA season). When we’re launching the (Predators) season, it’s the middle of the WNBA playoffs,” Henry said. “Mutual excitement builds up for each other.”
The NHL season begins in October, with the Stanley Cup being awarded in early June. The WNBA season begins in May and ends with the WNBA Finals in October.
Each WNBA season has 44 games, including 22 at home. NHL seasons consist of 82 games, with 41 at home.
Part of Haslam’s bid includes construction of a practice facility at an undetermined location in Nashville, which would be used exclusively by the WNBA team. The Predators practice at Bridgestone Arena and Centennial Sportsplex during the regular season.
“There’s no scheduling challenges at all, really,” Henry said. “It’s all upside.”
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How owning the Predators inspired Bill Haslam to bid for WNBA team
