Could a WNBA team land in Austin? Commissioner says city is among "20 or so" on expansion list
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert confirmed during a May 5 forum with the Sports Business Journal, ahead of the start of the WNBA's 27th season, that the league would like to add two more teams in the foreseeable future.
AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) -- Could Austin soon be the home of a Women's National Basketball Association team? It's at least on the short list of expansion candidates, according to the league's commissioner.
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert confirmed during a May 5 forum with the Sports Business Journal, ahead of the start of the WNBA's 27th season, that the league would like to add two more teams in the foreseeable future.
While she didn't give a specific timeline on when those teams could be announced, she said they've narrowed a list of a hundred potential cities "down to 20 or so" based on research into things like demographics and potential corporate sponsorships.
Austin was one of the cities she mentioned, along with markets that have long-been viewed as frontrunners for expansion – the Bay Area, Toronto and Portland – and other fast-growing cities like Denver and Nashville. She said they've already visited Portland, while the league held a sold-out preseason game in Toronto. More visits would be conducted in the near future.
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