WNBA Commissioner Explores Denver Expansion, Broader Markets

The WNBA will take its next steps toward expansion this week when commissioner Cathy Engelbert visits Denver to meet with a group pushing for a new team in Colorado.

Denver was among the cities Engelbert mentioned to Front Office Sports earlier this year as potential targets.

On Wednesday, the group — which includes Denver-based IMA Financial Group chief executive Robert Cohen — will show the WNBA potential venues for play and practice, according to the Denver Post. 

Along with Denver, other markets the WNBA is considering are the Bay Area, Nashville, Toronto, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Portland, and Austin — the latter of which is currently seeking investors for a potential ownership group. 

Not So Fast?

Expansion could come as soon as 2025, but Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson, the WNBA’s reigning MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, recently told FOS she thinks the treatment of the league’s current 144 players should be prioritized before adding new teams or expanding roster sizes.

The Aces will host the New York Liberty on Tuesday night in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final at 9 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime Video. Now in its third year, the in-season tournament awards $30,000 to each player on the winning team, while the runners up will get $10,000 each.

Aces-Liberty also represents a possible WNBA Finals preview, as the teams have the two best records in the league with about a month left in the regular season.