Currently sitting at 12 teams, the WNBA will expand to 13 in 2025 with the addition of a team in San Francisco.

During the 2024 WNBA Draft on Monday, commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league is looking to further expand to 16 teams likely by 2028.

The WNBA has compiled a list of potential cities and Philadelphia is one of them, writes Tyler Nettuno for For The Win.

Joining Philly as possible cities are Toronto, Denver, Portland, Nashville, and South Florida. 

Philadelphia has the distinction of being the largest media market in the United States without a WNBA team, while Toronto would represent the league’s first attempt at adding an international team.

The WNBA was launched in 1996 with eight original teams. The majority of those teams have since folded or relocated.

The last expansion team the league added was in 2006 with the introduction of the Atlanta Dream.

The sport of women’s basketball has been growing exponentially in recent years, and with it at an all-time high, the WNBA is going full-steam ahead in its efforts to grow the game’s reach.

Read more about the WNBA’s expansion goals in the next few years in For The Win.

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