DETROIT – It’s official, the WNBA is coming back to Detroit.
The Women’s National Basketball Association and NBA Board of Governors have approved three new expansion teams.
Detroit will get its team in 2029, following Cleveland in 2028 and Philadelphia in 2030.
For fans in the city, it’s a full-circle moment.
Former Detroit Shock supporters said they can’t wait to see pro basketball back downtown.
“The team is going to play at LCA, and that’s going to help with the fanbase,” said Shock suferfan Diane Nothaft. “Because playing out in Auburn Hills, I’ll tell you, coming from Ann Arbor, that was a trek coming from all of those games. I think just in general that the quality of play has improved, and I think that’s going to get a lot of other people involved in the game that maybe weren’t interested before.”
Earlier this year, Local 4’s Karen Drew sat down with former WNBA President Donna Orender, who called bringing women’s basketball back to Detroit a “No-brainer.”
“Basketball, especially women’s basketball, was made for Detroit,” said Orender. “It sounds like you have incredible leadership here from all sectors. I remember being at the Palace. It was packed inside that huge arena. They won championships in 2006 and 2008, and people showed up. Detroit is a basketball-loving city, and so it was really sad when it went away.
You can watch that full interview on Local 4+, where Orender talks more about basketball in the Motor City and why supporting women’s sports matters.
Detroit Shock
Detroit is eager to welcome the WNBA back, having previously hosted the Detroit Shock from 1998 to 2009.
The Shock won three championships during their tenure before relocating to Tulsa and then to Arlington, becoming the Dallas Wings.