The WNBA has enjoyed significant growth in recent years, with revenue and fan interest both taking off. This success has led to an increase in talks around potential expansion for the league, especially considering there’s more talent than available roster spots across the W.
A recent report from Front Office Sports revealed the handful of cities under consideration as expansion sites. Philadelphia was included on that list, and there’s several reasons why the WNBA should grant a franchise to this sports Mecca.
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert reiterated her focus on WNBA expansion on Sunday.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) August 7, 2023
"We need more than 12 teams.”
Cities under consideration include:
• The Bay Area
• Nashville
• Toronto
• Austin
• Denver
• Charlotte
• Philadelphia
• Portland
Why Philadelphia Should Get a WNBA Team
A rich sports history
The city of Philadelphia is synonymous with sports. From the famous Rocky Balboa steps, to championships won by both its pro and collegiate teams, and a fan base unlike any other in the entire country, this is the ideal locale for a WNBA team to succeed.
Past attempts at a women’s basketball franchise in Philly simply didn’t give this city a real chance to back its own team. There was the Fox in 1979, who didn’t even get a full season before being shut down to financing issues. Then the Rage, whose league (the American Basketball League) folded midway through its third campaign after declaring bankruptcy.
Now, as women’s basketball’s popularity rises and fans get invested in players as early as high school, this is the perfect moment to launch a WNBA team in Philadelphia. They’d also enter a time where the city has three legit pro championship contenders in the 76ers, Eagles and Phillies. Fans’ overall sports excitement is already sky-high, which should translate over to a new franchise seamlessly.
The right market
Expansion from the WNBA isn’t just a logistics decision — it’s a business one, too. Expanding to new areas means an influx of additional fans and sources of revenue, which will hopefully help the league continue to grow.
Philadelphia presents a ripe, large market for the WNBA to tap into. The city boasts the fourth-most television stations in the entire United States, which means a ton of potential eyeballs. Viewers turn into fans, and some will turn into people who consistently spend money on streaming services, merchandise or tickets to actual games.
Philly’s passion for sports is well-known across pro leagues. I already mentioned the Big 3 (Eagles, Phillies, Sixers), but there’s also the fervent supporters of the Flyers in the NHL and Union in MLS as well.
Pennsylvania, as a whole, is just as valuable to the WNBA. Look at the state’s passion for its successful collegiate programs, like recent NCAA men’s champion Villanova or Big Ten powerhouse Penn State. Sports has taken root in every corner of this area, providing a boatload of possible future WNBA die-hards waiting to be converted.
Synergy with the Sixers
A city already having an NBA team is by no means a requirement for a potential WNBA expansion site. But the 76ers’ presence certainly helps Philadelphia’s case, I think.
Philly has proven to be absolutely made for basketball. The city’s seen some of the sport’s legends pass through, with the likes of Dr. J, Wit Chamberlain, Allen Iverson, Hal Greer, Charles Barkley, Moses Malones and more all spending time in the City of Brotherly love.
This amazing basketball history has helped create an infatuation with the Sixers, who have one of the most passionate fan bases in the entire NBA. The Philadelphia faithful has stuck with this team through thick and thin, even embracing several years of losing because they believed in the long-term vision.
Now the 76ers find themselves with the league MVP in Joel Embiid and a legitimate shot at the title. Adding a WNBA team to the mix amid this hype just makes sense. Fans’ transition to another basketball fandom would be flawless, and they’d bring all of their passion with them.
Five WNBA teams (the Fever, Sparks, Liberty, Lynx and Mercury) already have direct partnerships with NBA counterparts as well. This is a formula that’s worked for the league, and the built-in support Philadelphia can offer through the Sixers is too strong to ignore.
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