DETROIT, June 30, 2025 ~ Detroit is officially back in the WNBA spotlight. After a 20-year absence, the Motor City will once again host a professional women’s basketball team, with the league announcing that Detroit will receive an expansion franchise set to begin play in the 2029 season.
The move marks a significant return for a city that once cheered for the Detroit Shock, a team that won three championships before relocating to Tulsa in 2010. The new team will be backed by a powerful ownership group led by Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores, with local sports icons like Grant Hill, Chris Webber, and NFL quarterback Jared Goff also holding minority stakes.
The WNBA selected Detroit for expansion based on factors such as market size, basketball infrastructure, and local investment. The city’s NBA presence and arena facilities were key considerations in the decision. The new team will play its home games at Little Caesars Arena, which it will share with the NBA’s Detroit Pistons and NHL’s Detroit Red Wings.
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(CONTINUED) Detroit is one of three cities awarded new WNBA franchises as part of the league’s expansion to 18 teams. Cleveland will launch its team in 2028, followed by Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030. These cities join the Golden State Valkyries, who began play in 2025, and upcoming teams in Toronto and Portland, both set to debut in 2026.
The addition of a WNBA team in Detroit aligns with broader trends in professional sports expansion and investment in women’s athletics. With a structured-rollout-plan and support from both local and league leadership, the team is positioned to contribute to the WNBA’s continued growth when it begins play in 2029.
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