The WNBA adds an expansion team in the Golden State
The GIST: Bay Area basketball fans, rejoice: the W is finally here. The WNBA confirmed yesterday that it’s adding an expansion team aligned with the NBA’s Golden State Warriors in 2025, currently known as WNBA Golden State.
The details: As previously reported, the team will be financed by Warriors owner Joe Lacob and play its games at San Francisco’s Chase Center. The Warriors will pay a record $50M expansion fee over 10 years, but for the NBA’s most valuable franchise, that’s practically change between the couch cushions.
What’s next: The W wasn’t quite done breaking the internet — Portland will reportedly also land an expansion franchise, bringing the league to an even 14 teams in 2025. WNBA Golden State and PDX would likely join the Western Conference, moving the Minnesota Lynx to the East.
- While the West Coast is clearly winning the expansion battle, there are still other cities in the mix. Philadelphia was rumored to be a potential site, and while Toronto has suddenly pulled out of the race, the Canadian demand for the game simply cannot be ignored. Ballin’ out the Canadian way, eh?
Zooming out: Expansion has a rocky history in the WNBA, but multi-city competition to land a team is promising and the new franchise couldn’t have gone to a better owner: Lacob not only skyrocketed the Warriors’ value, but he invested in women’s basketball way before men’s.
- And it’s no wonder people want a piece of the W universe — the league killed it on the viewership and attendance stats front during the 2023 regular season, and has remained popular throughout the postseason, peaking at 925K viewers. NFL, who?
Enjoying this article? Want more?
Sign up for The GIST and receive the latest women's sports business news straight to your inbox three times a week
