WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, together with Warriors Homeowners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, introduced the Golden State Warriors are granted an enlargement crew. Commissioner Engelbert confirmed there shall be a 14th WNBA crew in 2025.
It’s official. We’re increasing.
Tune in at 1pm EST/10am PST on X and the WNBA App to look at reside remarks from @CathyEngelbert and @wnbagoldenstate pic.twitter.com/l7UiUT7kA3
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 5, 2023
SAN FRANSISCO — On Thursday Afternoon, the WNBA formally introduced they’ll grant the Golden State Warriors an enlargement crew, beginning in 2025. A number of members of the media have been in attendance, together with Warriors Homeowners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, Brandon Schneider, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, and Mayor London Breed. Tara VanDerveer, the winningest coach in girls’s basketball historical past was additionally in attendance. A monumental day for the WNBA and girls’s sports activities, the league will get its thirteenth crew. Though there is not an official identify for the crew, this would be the WNBA’s first enlargement crew for the reason that Atlanta Dream in 2008.
Since being named WNBA Commissioner in 2019, Cathy Engelbert admitted there’s been hypothesis round enlargement for fairly a while. Stating timing is every part, Engelbert expressed “the proper time, the proper second is at this time. I’m very happy to announce that the WNBA is coming to the Bay Space.”
After fastidiously contemplating a number of markets, Engelbert caught to her structural plan, which included “three constant pillars when evaluating the information for an enlargement crew.” With the trajectory of accelerating development of the league, Commissioner Engelbert cares deeply in regards to the high quality of buyers, together with state-of-the-art services for gamers.
First, “A crew in a metropolis that gives a platform for deep and revolutionary fan engagement, ” stated Engelbert. Second, “Has a transparent path for stakeholder and franchise success.” Third, the WNBA was in search of buyers and a metropolis that “may add worth to the present WNBA content material, media, and leisure footprint.”
The San Fransisco Bay Space is the proper market
After a meticulous choice, the WNBA has expanded into some of the populated areas in sports activities. “The San Fransisco Bay Space has confirmed to fulfill the mark and nicely exceed the market in every of these three areas.” Engelbert stated within the presser. She said, “The Bay Space is firmly aligned with our already sturdy fan base of numerous and engaged basketball followers.
Engelbert strongly declared the significance of longevity and dedicated buyers. “It is actually necessary that you just’re bringing in long run homeowners, dedicated to the success, not simply the crew and profitable championships, however to the league total, ” stated the Commissioner.
One of many greatest tech markets, Engelbert said San Fransico not having a WNBA crew “did not appear proper” to her. “I believe in case you have a look at the San Fransisco Bay Space, you have a look at the demographics and psychographics, and also you have a look at our present fan base right here, but additionally nationally. “That is why I believed this market could be so nice. The information proves it out, but additionally this possession crew, these operators, and the entire leverage off the large success of the Golden State Warriors. “
They’re the house to a number of profitable sports activities organizations
#DubNation simply leveled up.
Let’s get it, @wnbagoldenstate 👏 pic.twitter.com/ZZz8tsKfBZ
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 5, 2023
With rising NCAA recognition amongst girls’s basketball, the Bay Space is the house to 6 Division 1 Girls’s Basketball packages. Capitalizing off that success, “10 million folks watched that NCAA Ultimate 4 March Insanity sport for the ladies final 12 months.” The San Fransisco Bay Space is the house to a number of profitable franchises, which embody the Golden State Warriors and San Fransisco 49ers. Led by former Quarterback Joe Montana, the 49ers have 5 Tremendous Bowl Championships in franchise historical past. The San Fransisco Giants have three world collection wins since 2010. Most spectacular, Proprietor Joe Lacob helped finish the Warriors 40-year championship drought, by which the group has six NBA Championships in franchise historical past. 4 of these six titles got here for the reason that 2014-2015 season.
This has all the time been a “dream” for Warriors proprietor Joe Lacob
Joe Lacob is ecstatic to convey a WNBA crew to the Bay Space 🤩 pic.twitter.com/VoWQMPjskS
— espnW (@espnW) October 5, 2023
Through the press convention, Cathy Engelbert was certain to thank Warriors homeowners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber for his or her “unwavering dedication and dedication.” Warriors Mangement, together with Brandon Schneider makes the group a main vacation spot for the W. “The entire Employees right here on the Golden State Warriors [Lacob Guber, Schneider] and the entire workers right here on the Golden State Warriors— the core values of teamwork, integrity, and excellence makes them a perfect match for the WNBA,” stated Engelbert.
Half proprietor of the Golden State Warriors since 2010, Joe Lacob all the time envisioned bringing skilled sports activities to the Bay Space. With a historical past of investing in girls’s sports activities, Lacob was a founding accomplice within the American Basketball League, particularly the San Jose Lasers.
Joe Lacob all the time envisioned bringing girls’s basketball to the Bay Space
Put this in your bookmarks. @wnbagoldenstate proprietor Joseph Lacob vows that when play begins, they’ll win a championship within the first 5 years of their existence 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Xxa5limkMz
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 5, 2023
“There was a league known as the ABL, the American Basketball League”, stated Lacob. ” I used to be a founding accomplice of, owned a giant chunk of it, and owned the San Jose Lasers. It was doing very well, after which the WNBA got here in and form of outmoded us, I assume you possibly can say, and we misplaced that league.”
Excited to name the Bay Space residence as soon as once more for ladies’s basketball, Lacob is “fulfilling a dream” that he is all the time had for ladies’s basketball. Devoted to his enterprise, Lacob doubled down on his championship aspirations. “We are going to win a championship within the first 5 years,” Lacob said. “I am telling you proper now, we are going to win a WNBA championship within the first 5 years of this franchise.”
Brandon Schneider, President and Chief Working Officer for the Warriors praised possession. He acknowledged Peter and Joe introduced a championship to Golden State within the first 5 12 months of possession. “I imply have a look at Joe, very first thing 5 years, we did it as soon as, now we will do it once more, ” stated Schneider. “So, it begins with the management from Joe and Peter on the imaginative and prescient, all the time giving us all of the assets that we must be profitable on and off the court docket.” We’re trying ahead to taking what we have discovered working the Warriors over the past a number of years and making use of that to our W crew.”
The Warriors have cutting-edge services
House to The Bay’s first @WNBA crew: @wnbagoldenstate
The crew will start taking part in at Chase Middle in 2025. pic.twitter.com/qYNpUYWFaY
— Chase Middle (@ChaseCenter) October 5, 2023
Previous to the beginning of the 2019-2020 season, the Golden State Warriors relocated from Oakland to the Chase Middle in San Fransisco. Costing $1.4 billion to assemble, the ability is the house of the Warriors, in addition to occasional video games for the College of San Fransisco.
“After which the sector, I imply the Chase Middle, a cutting-edge,” stated Engelbert. Highlighting that she visited the realm in 2020, she’s “admired what this possession crew has performed and what this management crew has performed.”
Brandon Scheider commented on the significance of services and is grateful for “Dub Nation” assist all over the world. “Our WNBA Gamers must have the perfect facility similar to our NBA gamers have. We’re actually lucky to have the ability in Oakland. We could have probably the greatest observe services in within the WNBA, along with practising on the facility in Oakland.” The entrance workplace and enterprise shall be dealt with and housed in Oakland.
Constitution flights, together with elite observe services have typically been a dialogue amongst athletes within the WNBA. Previous to her free company signing with the Las Vegas Aces, Candace Parker talked about she’s “by no means had a locker in her WNBA profession.” Devoted services and locker rooms will stay a focus in attracting free brokers.
Haven given over $30 million to academic nonprofit organizations in Oakland, the Warriors administration really feel “having a WNBA crew observe, headquarters there’ll solely serve to amplify the work they’re doing in the neighborhood.”
The Mayor of San Fransisco is ecstatic for the enlargement
In attendance this afternoon was San Fransisco Mayor London Breed.
“I do not know if anybody on this room is extra excited than I’m that we’re lastly getting a WNBA crew to play in San Fransisco, to observe in Oakland,” stated Mayor Breed. ” She was fast to level out that the realm wasn’t all the time wonderful, and went by means of a interval of desolation.
“What occurred in Mission Bay, the neighborhood we’re in, it was railroad tracks. There was a golf taking pictures vary, and an outlet. This neighborhood was nothing,” claimed the mayor. Mayor Breed credit new housing building and the Warriors to financial and group development. She states the “visionary management” is in regards to the group, in addition to the crew and the followers. “It has actually introduced a number of pleasure and a number of life to a neighborhood as soon as uncared for. What it would do for our restaurant’s, our companies, and what it would do for San Fransisco and our economic system.”
The Numbers don’t lie
“There’s an important pleasure and love for ladies’s basketball within the Bay Space.”
Basketball followers in The Bay, the @WNBA is right here. pic.twitter.com/6Da3bGXbzG
— WNBA Golden State (@wnbagoldenstate) October 5, 2023
The WNBA is rising at a fee it is by no means seen earlier than. ” Girls’s basketball on the whole is taking off, girls’s sports activities on the whole is taking off,” stated Lacob.
After a historic 2023 season, the WNBA had report viewership and attendance. “It is a thrilling time for the WNBA because the longest tenure girls’s skilled sports activities league in the USA,” stated Engelbert. ” We have simply concluded our twenty seventh common season. We noticed report breaking viewership, attendance, and digital engagement.”
Viewership is up 21 p.c in such Networks, together with ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, and CBS. The W had the best attendance in 13 years and was probably the most watched season in 21 years.
The WNBA goals so as to add a 14th crew
Cathy Engelbert talked about Sacramento, Portland, Toronto, Philadelphia, and Denver are all focused on changing into a 14th crew. #wnba #WNBAExpansion
— Sara Jane Gamelli (@SaraJGamelli) October 5, 2023
The WNBA is ready to have a complete of 13 groups, a quantity the league has solely seen for a complete of three seasons. The playoff format works, given the highest eight groups make the postseason. With that stated, Commissioner Cathey Engelbert has vocalized their imaginative and prescient of an addition crew.
“13 is a fortunate quantity by the best way, ” stated the W Commissioner. “Our objective, this can be a crew to start out up in 2025. Our objective is to have 14 groups by 2025 as nicely. I have been touring to distinction cities. We’re in discussions and continued discussions, productive conversations with a number of different cities.” Engelbert named Sacramento, Portland, Denver Toronto, Philadelphia, and Charlotte as all potential cities.
Engelbert talked about there have been a number of modifications to the league for the reason that enlargement of the Atlanta Dream in 2008. With a committee, the WNBA could have an enlargement draft, which the Commissioner will additional handle.
With two enlargement groups, comes extra roster spots, which is an significance for the league. One of many hardest leagues to enter, the Commissioner said, “lots of our draft picks don’t make a crew, even first spherical draft picks in some situations.” The addition of two groups will add as much as 24 potential roster spots, which is essential with increasing NCAA recognition. “That is partially to provide new alternatives to that subsequent era popping out of the NCAA system after which perhaps some gamers that did not make groups this 12 months.”
When requested if a reputation or coloration scheme has been chosen, Warrior’s possession said they have not solidified something. “I want I had a solution for you. We do not know but, however we are going to quickly. We will have a look at every part,” stated Lacob. The proprietor expressed the crew will “be a mirrored image of the whole thing of the Bay Space in a roundabout way.”
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Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter at Ballislife, and a Sports activities Content material Creator on Twitch and TikTok. She has a deal with the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane presently resides in Connecticut together with her Cat and Canine. SJ has her undergraduate diploma from the College of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in enterprise administration.
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