Philadelphia Gets Green Light for WNBA Expansion Team

Philadelphia is about to get an official WNBA expansion team. The women's professional basketball league and the NBA Board of Governors approved the expansion team for the City of Brotherly Love at a news conference on Thursday, April 9.

According to CBS Philadelphia, the Philadelphia expansion team will begin play in 2030 and is one of three expansion teams that received the green light. Cleveland will begin play in 2028, and Detroit will start in 2029.

The unnamed team will be owned by Comcast Spectacor and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), which also owns the Philadelphia 76ers.

"To the city of Philly, this is your team. Philadelphia is a city about sports, and basketball in particular, including generations of extraordinary women's basketball talent, athletes who have shaped the game and inspired countless others. For me and the community, bringing the WNBA to Philly wasn't just nice to have. It was an obligation," HBSE co-founder Josh Harris said in June 2025.

The WNBA's official expansion to Philadelphia follows a previous announcement from Comcast and HBSE about plans for a new shared arena with the Flyers and Sixers for South Philadelphia, scheduled to open in 2031. The Flyers and Sixers currently play at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

While there is no confirmation of the home stadium for the new WNBA team, CBS Philadelphia reported that the team would likely share an arena with the Flyers and Sixers.

For now, fans can follow developments on the WNBA team's social media account — @phillywnba. Officials also released a hype video on Instagram that showcases young female basketball players who would attend games if Philadelphia had a team.

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