WNBA Approves Expansion Teams in Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia as Debut Timelines Revealed

The WNBA formally approved expansion teams in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia, the league announced Thursday.

Cleveland's WNBA team will begin playing in the 2028 season, while Detroit's squad will be introduced in 2029. Philadelphia's WNBA team is set to debut in 2030.

The WNBA initially announced that the league would expand to 18 teams with Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia chosen as the locations of the new organizations in June 2025.

The expansion was subject to WNBA and NBA Boards of Governors approval at the time.

"The demand for women's basketball has never been higher, and we are thrilled to welcome Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia to the WNBA family," WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said as part of last year's announcement. "This historic expansion is a powerful reflection of our league's extraordinary momentum, the depth of talent across the game, and the surging demand for investment in women's professional basketball."

The league is currently introducing the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo for the 2026 season, as both teams participated in an expansion draft on Friday.