WNBA expanding...headed where??

[Blakeon18]

A few days ago the Boston Globe had an article about the WNBA...mostly positive news
about TV ratings and about some interest shown with a few cities approaching the league about having a team. President Laurel Richie seems pretty certain that expansion will happen...though they have no timeline and are a bit concerned about expanding to a city and then having to fold the team if the support isn't there.

Two areas specifically are mentioned...San Francisco Bay and Tenn. I am 99% sure that the WNBA did have a team in Tenn...maybe Nashville? I vaguely recall that Jen Rizzotti was with Houston and was about to be traded to the Tenn. club when she announced that there was no way she would play for a team in that state and promptly retired. Admittedly this recollection might be more 'vague' than factual.

 

[Ghz]

You are thinking of the Nashville Noise of the ABL. That was back in 1998.

 

[stwainfan]

I would like too have a WNBA team in Tennessee. I think it would be in Nashville, Memphis or Knoxville. I think it would be in one of those three cities. Memphis has a NBA team.

 

[triaddukefan]

If they were to put one in TN... Nashville makes the most sense.

Wish they would return to Charlotte.... but that will never happen

 

[jennyo70]

Would love a team in Louisville. I think we are too close to Indy, thus splitting fans, and not making it a wise choice.

 

[Gate81]

Owner of the Warriors really wanted the Lakers, and the Bay area is fertile ground. During the summer our only basketball access without a 7 hour drive to LA is the Pro Am summer league which often features a variety of college players (maybe 2-3 from each local team, plus others) on a multitude of teams playing once a week from mid June through early August.

 

[easttexastrash]

PLEASE COME TO DALLAS!!

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Bay area makes some sense. I don't recollect that Tennessee supported the ABL, but that was a long time ago. How do other college teams draw (excluding the orange folks) would be the big question.

If Houston didn't support a winning product, I'm not sure Dallas would be a top choice.

And I agree with the earlier poster, Louisville is probably too close to Indy for them to put a team there at this point. It isn't so close that it would be completely impractical, but with the league so fragile, I wouldn't try it at this time.

 

[Wbbfan1]

IMHO Knoxville would make the most sense if they can get reasonable rent for the Thompson Boling Arena. They'll never fill 26K unless it was during the playoffs and both teams had a number of high profile Lady Vols on the Roster. I would think Knoxville would easily average 9 to 10K in attendance.

If the WNBA was smart they would give Pat Summitt so honorary position with a Knoxville team.

 

[Vowelguy]

As a college town, I would guess that Knox gets quieter in the summer. Would seem less than ideal for a pro team.

SF seems a natural choice.
A city without a pro baseball team would also seem a contender.

 

[UcMiami]

As a college town, I would guess that Knox gets quieter in the summer. Would seem less than ideal for a pro team.

SF seems a natural choice.
A city without a pro baseball team would also seem a contender.

Knoxville is really a city with a large university and not a college town so I think it could work.

 

[alexrgct]

The Bay Area is a good fit for obvious demographic/marketing reasons. I can't predict how interested fans would be in Tennessee. The question is venue and volume of LV alumnae. The Sun turned a profit because a) the popularity of WBB in the state. b) the lowered cost of the arena location and the popularity of the casino, and c) the number of UConn alumnae on the team. Can the state of Tennessee find a popular venue and make hay off of a high number of LV graduates? Like the guy who reported so much about Saniya Chong on this board, time will tell...

 

[Wbbfan1]

Lady Vols, get some support from students, but most of the Season Tickets sales are from the community. Should be easy to have a roster that contains two or three former Lady Vols on it.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Lady Vols, get some support from students, but most of the Season Tickets sales are from the community. Should be easy to have a roster that contains two or three former Lady Vols on it.

is there currently 2-3 in the WNBA.... future WNBA doesnt seem in the future as well

 

[meyers7]

is there currently 2-3 in the WNBA.... future WNBA doesnt seem in the future as well

6
Catchings, Lawson, Parker, Stricklen, Baugh, Johnson.

 

[DaddyChoc]

nice to see Baugh there

 

[Coler]

Personally, I'd love for there to be a team back in Houston, I believe it was the owner's no knowing how to run a team than the Comets not having fan support.

 

[rocky rococo]

A "Tennessee" team wouldn't necessarily have to be limited to one city. In the ABL, the New England Blizzard had most of their games in Hartford, but also scheduled a certain number of home games in Springfield. In the old ABA, the Carolina and Virginia teams each had multiple home venues.

 

[Striper69]

Delaware has such a rabid EDD fanbase that I think a team could thrive in Newark, Delaware. Seems like a couple of hundred go to DC every time she plays there.

Seattle would be wise to trade for Shoni and sell out all their home games...

 

[Beemer]

I have to question the idea of WNBA expansion. Existing teams have difficulty filling their arenas. Media exposure still isn't that great- ESPN televises some games but otherwise completely ignores the W as do most other major media outlets. I'll bet there are few teams that are breaking even never mind showing a profit. If I am a potential sports team owner I would not be looking to buy an existing WNBA franchise never mind an expansion team.

 

[j66kicker]

I have to question the idea of WNBA expansion. Existing teams have difficulty filling their arenas. Media exposure still isn't that great- ESPN televises some games but otherwise completely ignores the W as do most other major media outlets. I'll bet there are few teams that are breaking even never mind showing a profit. If I am a potential sports team owner I would not be looking to buy an existing WNBA franchise never mind an expansion team.

Last year 6 of 12 teams broke even or showed a profit, 6 lost money. I have to question expansion right now too - is the talent pool large enough to field more good teams? IMO most of the WNBA teams right now are not that good, and are painful to watch. Further dilution of the talent base right now won't help the product.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Last year 6 of 12 teams broke even or showed a profit, 6 lost money. I have to question expansion right now too - is the talent pool large enough to field more good teams? IMO most of the WNBA teams right now are not that good, and are painful to watch. Further dilution of the talent base right now won't help the product.

While I'm not sure on expansion either , talent isn't the issue. Unfortunately, the W currently seems to have a couple of all-star teams and then the rest. The rest are talented, they just aren't as talented.

 

[j66kicker]

While I'm not sure on expansion either , talent isn't the issue. Unfortunately, the W currently seems to have a couple of all-star teams and then the rest. The rest are talented, they just aren't as talented.

Well maybe it's coaching talent they lack, then. Somehow the games have become more interesting/exciting to a more mainstream audience, so they can afford to attract quality college coaches (going from a premier college job to WNBA head coach is NOT a promotion), or whatever the missing link is....