Philadelphia is a ‘clear front-runner’ for WNBA expansion, report says, but not next in line

Though the WNBA is notoriously tight-lipped about its expansion plans, it seems someone involved is in the mood to talk.

The Sports Business Journal reported Sunday that Cleveland is on the verge of getting the league’s next franchise, with an announcement potentially to come next month. That would return the WNBA to a city that was one of the league’s originals, with the Rockers playing from 1997-2003.

But the news below the headline was just as big, and even bigger for fans around here. Philadelphia is “another clear front-runner,” the report said, with one source citing Comcast as a key player.

That’s not just because the media conglomerate has partnered with the 76ers to build a new arena in the Sports Complex to replace the Wells Fargo Center — a deal that includes Comcast buying an equity stake in the team. Comcast also has bought WNBA broadcast rights in a deal that starts next year, as part of its 11-year, $2.5 billion NBA package that starts this fall.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has said publicly that he’s well aware of the city’s interest in a WNBA team, starting with Mayor Cherelle L. Parker.

One of the Sports Business Journal’s sources told the outlet: “When you have Comcast throwing their weight around, wanting something, and they’re already in the league for tens of billions of dollars, you know it’s real.”

» READ MORE: The 76ers’ owners have officially bid to bring a WNBA team to Philadelphia

Cleveland is at the front of the line in part because Dan Gilbert, owner of the NBA’s Cavaliers, has put a record amount of money on the table. Though his reported $250 million offer might not be purely the expansion fee, it’s still a lot more than the previous high-water mark: $150 million for the forthcoming team in Portland, Ore.

The new Rockers would play in the city’s NBA arena, which hosted the women’s Final Four in 2007 and last year. And just as important as the expansion fee, the team would get its own practice facility, a huge priority for the league and its players. The Cavaliers are set to move into a new facility in 2027, and Gilbert would renovate the current facility for the Rockers to use.

Houston is also a leading candidate to get a team, which would bring back the city that hosted the WNBA’s original dynasty. The Comets won the league’s first four titles from 1997-2000, led by superstars Sheryl Swoopes and Cynthia Cooper, and are still remembered fondly by longtime fans. Tilman Fertitta, owner of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, has been pushing for a WNBA team for a few months, and the Rockets recently opened a 75,000-foot practice facility.

» READ MORE: How NBA commissioner Adam Silver put an end to a billionaires’ feud and helped keep the Sixers in South Philly

The Sports Business Journal said there are 13 WNBA expansion bids right now — not just a big number on its own, but a bigger number of cities than the 12 that were in the league last year. San Francisco will become the 13th team this year, and Toronto and Portland will make it 15 next year.

Cleveland’s launch would likely be in 2028, and the next two teams would start in 2029 or 2030. Coincidentally, that is close to the expected 2031 opening of the new South Philadelphia arena.