The WNBA has officially unveiled its plans for a new expansion franchise located in the Bay Area. This exciting announcement was made on Thursday, revealing that the team is yet to receive its official name. The franchise will be based in Oakland, California, and its home games will be played at the Chase Center in San Francisco, beginning in 2025.
Ownership and operation of the Bay Area franchise will be under the capable hands of Joe Lacob, co-executive chairman and CEO of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, and Peter Guber, co-executive chairman. Expressing his enthusiasm for this endeavor, Lacob stated, “We’ve had our eyes on a WNBA franchise for several years, especially given the rich history of women’s basketball in the Bay Area. We believe that now is the perfect moment to bring this vision to life and further enhance that legacy.”
Lacob continued, “The WNBA has firmly established itself as the premier women’s professional basketball league, and we eagerly anticipate supporting both the world’s best women’s basketball players and our own team when the 2025 season kicks off.”
This addition to the league will make it the 13th team in the WNBA, marking the first expansion since the Atlanta Dream joined in 2008, following the league’s founding in 1996.
The timing of this announcement coincides with the upcoming WNBA Finals clash between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, set to begin this Sunday.
In a press release, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert expressed her excitement, stating, “We are thrilled to expand to the Bay Area and introduce the WNBA to a region with passionate basketball fans and a strong history of supporting women’s basketball.” She added, “Joe Lacob, Peter Guber, and their leadership team have a proven track record in building and operating world-class organizations, as evidenced by the tremendous success of the Warriors’ franchise in both business and basketball aspects over the past decade.”
The Golden State Warriors will become the sixth NBA franchise to have a corresponding WNBA team, joining the ranks of the Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, and Washington Wizards.
