The Big Issues With WNBA Expansion

Guest Blog from Ava Finkel

The WNBA is growing faster than ever, but it isn’t cheap.

Expansion

In June 2025, the league announced expansion teams in Toronto (coming in 2026), Portland (2026), Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029), and Philadelphia (2030). Sounds great, right? But why does expansion matter? Well, for starters, the introduction of new teams will open up more spots for talented players to land, something that has been tricky with the current 12 player per team roster limit. The limit has been an issue for the WNBA in the past, often forcing capable athletes out of the league before they’ve even had a chance to play. With expansion coming soon, that situation could finally change, as more opportunities will open up for new players to showcase their skills. Expansion will not only bring a never-before-seen energy to the league, but will also give fans in the new cities a team to get behind.

As always, though, this opportunity comes with a tradeoff.

Tradeoffs

The main issue is quite simple: teams are expensive. Like $250,000,000 kind of expensive. Everything from player salaries to travel costs to franchise fees, contribute to the boatload of money required to launch and sustain a successful team. Another trade-off stems from talent distribution. With new teams, the league may struggle to keep things competitive, as top players will be spread out across a wider number of rosters. But, women’s basketball has never lacked talent. New prospects continue to emerge every year, and the amount of skill across the league means that fans will never stop having talent to root for. 

The WNBA’s expansion is more than just an update. Each new franchise is a representation of the investment in women’s basketball itself and the belief that the sport is here to stay. While the costs are real, the reward could bring the league much closer to having the recognition and respect it’s always deserved. 

Now let’s finally talk about the last big issue. 

Names

You can’t really beat having your lineup named after the fierce warrior Valkyries, supernatural creatures straight from the pages of ancient Norse legend. They fight, they fly, they’re fearless. So what are we going to name these new teams?