Detroit Seeks to Bring WNBA Back to the Motor City
A group of investors led by Tom Gores, owner of the NBA’s Detroit Pistons and the NFL’s Detroit Lions, has submitted a bid to bring the WNBA back to Detroit. The group includes Sheila Ford Hamp and her husband, the principal owners of the Lions; the CEO and chair of General Motors Company; Hall of Famer and former NBA rookie of the year Grant Hill; Lions quarterback Jared Goff and his wife; and others.
“We’re here to rekindle that legacy,” Gores said in a statement. “Detroit is a sports town that loves its teams deeply and consistently shows up with unwavering passion.”
The team would play at Little Caesars Arena and have a dedicated practice facility and headquarters open 24 hours a day. The facility would include courts, locker rooms, workout facilities, office and lounge space, as well as a sports center open to the public.
The bid is also supported by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. Whitmer called the WNBA’s return to Detroit “a beacon of hope and opportunity for women’s sports.”
The WNBA is set to add three new expansion teams in the next two seasons, with Golden State, Portland, and Toronto joining the league. Commission er Cathy Engelbert has said the WNBA would like to add a 16th team by the 2028 season, with Cleveland currently considering a bid and Nashville making its own bid public.