What Are the WNBA Expansion Teams? What to Know About Cities, Players, Draft, and More

3 min readCleveland, meet your new WNBA team: The league’s latest expansion franchise just announced its team name, the Cleveland Sirens, in an August 4 live stream.Last year, the league announced that it will add three more new teams over the next few years, bringing the team total to 18.“The demand for women’s basketball has never been higher, and we are thrilled to welcome Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia to the WNBA family,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert previously said in a statement. “This historic expansion is a powerful reflection of our league’s extraordinary momentum, the depth of talent across the game, and the surging demand for investment in women’s professional basketball.” Engelbert said that the WNBA is also “confident that these new teams will reshape the landscape of women’s basketball.”It's a huge moment for the W. And as the league and its rosters grow, so are the opportunities for partnership and financial investments—both in the teams and their fans. Here's what to know about the expansion teams—plus, how drafting players will look.Cleveland SirensCleveland’s WNBA team will be owned and operated by Rock Entertainment Group, which is also the parent company of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers as well as the Cleveland Monsters, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets.“Named for Lake Erie’s power and pull, the Sirens will play at Rocket Arena starting in 2028,” reads the team’s website. “On the court and in the community, the Sirens stand for opportunity, elevating women’s basketball and building something that can only exist here.”This isn’t Cleveland’s first WNBA team: The city previously was home to the Rockers from 1997 to 2003. “The WNBA’s return to Cleveland marks a pivotal moment for women’s sports. Years from now, we will reflect on this day as a truly monumental point in Cleveland sports history,” Rock Entertainment Group Chairman Dan Gilbert previously said in a statement. “The passion, support and continued commitment of our fans and community for our professional sports teams played an essential role in making this possible. We’re confident that this team will honor our city’s women’s sports heritage, reinvigorate our WNBA fan base and help cultivate the next generation of women’s basketball enthusiasts and athletes.”DetroitDetroit’s WNBA team will be owned by Tom Gores, who also owns the Detroit Pistons. Detroit previously had a WNBA team called the Shock, which played from 1998-2009 and won three championships.“This is a huge win for Detroit and the WNBA,” team owner Tom Gores said in a statement. “Today marks the long-hoped-for return of the WNBA to a city with deep basketball roots and a championship tradition. Detroit played a key role in the league’s early growth, and we’re proud to reignite that legacy as the WNBA ascends to new heights. Our plans will bring new energy, investment and infrastructure to our city and the WNBA, and additional resources to our community.”The team will join the WNBA in 2029, according to the official team website.PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia’s WNBA team will be owned and run by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment.“Philadelphia is one of the most storied basketball cities in the world and our region is home to some of the best women’s players and coaches to ever grace the hardwood. It’s only right that this city gets the WNBA team it deserves, and we’re humbled to help usher in a new era of Philadelphia basketball,” Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment Managing Partner and Co-Founder Josh Harris said in a statement. “We are committed to building a world-class organization, fostering the continued growth of women’s professional sports in this great city.”This team will join the WNBA in 2030. Love to see it!How does each expansion team build their roster?We have some idea of how the expansion draft process will shake out after the league’s newest teams—the Golden State Valkyries, Portland Fire, and Toronto Tempo—conducted their drafts within the last few years.In the most recent expansion draft, each WNBA team was able to protect up to five of their existing players from being drafted by the Fire or Tempo. From there, a team could lose a maximum of two players total in the draft. An expansion team could also select one player across the league who was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent, and could make selections at the WNBA Draft.Details are still under wraps for when Cleveland will select its roster, but one thing is for sure: We can't wait to see it unfold.Charlotte Walsh is the associate news editor at Women’s Health, where she pitches, assigns, edits, and writes daily pieces on celebrity health and scientific studies. She has bylines at People, Business Insider, New York, E! Online, and more. She is an avid tennis player, sailor, and skier. Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.Amanda Lucci is the director of special projects at Women’s Health, where she works on multi-platform brand initiatives and social media strategy. She also leads the sports and athletes vertical, traveling to cover the Paris Olympics, Women’s World Cup, WNBA Finals, and NCAA Final Four for WH. She has nearly 15 years of experience writing, editing, and managing social media for national and international publications and is also a NASM-certified personal trainer. A proud native of Pittsburgh, PA, she is a graduate of Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. Follow her on Instagram @alucci.