WNBA’s 16th franchise has been all but awarded, report says. What does Charlotte do now?
A former WNBA city that is bidding to get the league to return is all but certain to be successful, the Sports Business Journal reported Sunday.
But it’s not Charlotte.
Instead, it will almost surely be Cleveland that is awarded the WNBA’s 16th franchise, the outlet reported, with a record bid of approximately $250 million. SBJ also reported that the WNBA might be willing to add two more teams in this expansion phase to bring the league total to 18 franchises — but that the favorites for those slots are Philadelphia, Houston, Nashville, Detroit and Miami.
If the report is accurate, that would leave Charlotte on the outside looking in, along with several other spurned cities in the current bidding process including Kansas City, St. Louis, Austin, Denver and Milwaukee. The WNBA did not confirm the report.
Nadia Eke, a spokesperson for the bid to bring back the Charlotte Sting, said she didn’t know if the report that Cleveland would begin play in 2028 as an expansion team was accurate.
However, Eke said, if Charlotte doesn’t succeed, the Berman family behind the bid won’t stop trying. The WNBA, one of the hottest leagues in the world at the moment, has been rumored to be willing to expand to 20 or even 24 teams over the next decade.
“Until they are done expanding, we are committed to getting Charlotte a team,” Eke said via text Sunday night.
The city of Charlotte indicated that the city itself hasn’t been involved. ”The city has not had any recent conversations regarding a potential WNBA team coming to Charlotte,” city spokesman Lawrence Corley said. “Our residents’ love for sports and entertainment has been a significant factor in our economic success. If interest does arise in the future, the city is happy to discuss the opportunity.”
The bidding for the 16th team was much fiercer than it has been for past WNBA expansion teams. The Golden State Valkyries, who became the WNBA’s 13th franchise, paid $50 million to join the league. Toronto and Portland — franchises No. 14 and 15 — paid $115 million and $125 million, respectively. Cleveland will pay about twice as much to bring back the Cleveland Rockers to the WNBA, and SBJ reported there were multiple other bids topping $200 million.
A proposed Charlotte team would play at Spectrum Center, sharing the arena with the Charlotte Hornets. The original Sting lasted 10 seasons, from 1997-2006, before folding in early 2007.
Staff writer Mary Ramsey contributed to this story.
This story was originally published February 16, 2025 at 9:11 PM.
