Just over a week ago it was reported that Joe Lacob and the rest of the Warriors of the Golden State ownership group had received a WNBA expansion team. And now it’s official, Lacob, other top Warriors officials, and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert was at the Chase Center Thursday morning to officially announce the news that a 13th WNBA team would enter contention for the 2025 season.
The team, which does not yet have a name, will have its basketball operations (business and practices) in Oakland, where the Warriors still have their old facilities. The games will be played at San Francisco’s Chase Center, a new arena that former team president and current advisor Rick Welts once told me was designed with the ability to mimic the acoustics and the ambiance of a smaller arena if necessary.
It’s a historic and exciting day for Bay Area sports, and comes just months after it was announced that a NWSL The team was also bound for the Bay Area (with Andre Iguodala within the ownership group).
Expansion in the Bay Area has long been a topic within the WNBA, which has not had an expansion franchise since 2008. The Bay Area is one of the nation’s great basketball cities, having a strong thirst for women’s sports and is home to one of the best women’s college basketball programs in the country.
This is not, however, the first foray into professional women’s basketball in the region, or even in Lacob. Lacob owned the San Jose Lasers, an American Basketball League team, which folded during its third season as the WNBA began to take off. And if you go inland, you’ll find the Sacramento Monarchs, one of the original WNBA teams, who won a championship in 2005 before folding in 2009.
The fact that the Warriors are recruiting an expansion team is huge for the WNBA, as it comes with a near-guarantee that Lacob – who uses his checkbook as a supplier and not an obstacle to success – will give the team the dedication and financial support it deserves. This was made clear during the introductory press conference, when Engelbert hinted at very significant expansion fees.
These costs may never be known, but Yahoo Sports reported it was $50 million.
Engelbert revealed that the league was targeting a second expansion team for 2025, giving the W even 14 teams. Many cities have gone public, although the biggest momentum seems to be coming from Toronto.
Soon we will have Bay Area basketball to cheer on all year long. And what a wonderful thing it is!
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