During the 2024 draft, WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert said the goal was to grow the league from 12 teams to 16 teams by 2028.
The league is halfway there after announcing plans Friday to create a Toronto franchise in 2026 on the heels of Golden State — the league’s first expansion team since the Atlanta Dream in 2008 — entering its first season in 2025.
Golden State was officially announced on Tuesday he had adopted Valkyries as his nickname.
Toronto’s selection comes as no surprise given the city’s success with exhibition games over the past two years in front of sellout crowds. The new Bay Area team hopes to benefit from a rich basketball court, a loyal Warriors fan base and a known ally in Stephen Curry.
“Steph is obviously such a powerful person. He’s an incredible ally and watching him and Sabrina (Ionescu) spend those moments together (during the 3-point contest at NBA All-Star weekend), I think, was such a visual representation of how we actually want build within,” Golden State WNBA President Jess Smith told The Post at the ESPNW Summit in New York last week. “Like the Warriors and the WNBA, both unique and powerful in themselves- same and yet connected So we’re really lucky that this exists in the first place, but being in the Warriors sphere, in the way they do business and the confidence that they have in the market, is extremely beneficial.
“People expect them to win, but they also expect them to do the right thing. And I can say that’s what we’re going to do all day, but they’re like, “No, we kind of have the case study here.” We understood.’ So, it’s definitely helpful in this journey.
In building its brand, Golden State wants to move past the misconception that women’s sports are just for families, said Smith, who helped turn the NWSL’s Angel City FC into a $180 million franchise — the highest of the league – according to Sportico.
The team strives to target 20- to 40-year-olds ready to fully dive into their product.
Golden State has already collected 7,500 seat deposits and plans to keep its foot on the gas as women’s basketball continues to grow with an influx of stars, led by Caitlin Clark.
“You should never assume who your fans are going to be, especially as a new team,” Smith said. “For us, we’re building our brand with NBA fans and intentionality around women’s sports. We want to be something that’s a soft landing spot, no matter if you’re interested in women’s flag football, which is going wild right now, or volleyball. We feel like we represent a broader vision than just the sport of basketball.
There are no details yet on how Golden State and Toronto will build their rosters, but Smith said an expansion draft is “definitely in talks” as well as the use of free agency and the college draft .
On May 6, Golden State hired Ohemma Nyanin as general manager to build its first team after serving as Liberty’s assistant general manager last season when they advanced to their first WNBA Finals appearance since 2002.
New York Post
