Lions Help Bring WNBA Team Back to Detroit

The city of Detroit will be adding another professional sports team back into the mix.

On Monday, it was announced that the investing group led by Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores and featuring Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff and team owner Sheila Hamp had landed a WNBA expansion team beginning in the 2029 season.

The bid was submitted by Gores in January and will give Detroit a WNBA team for the first time since the Detroit Shock left for Tulsa in 2010.

The Shock have since rebranded to the Dallas Wings, a team that features 2025 No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers.

"This is a huge win for Detroit and the WNBA. Today makes the long-hoped-for return of the WNBA to a city with deep basketball roots and a championship tradition," Gores said in a statement provided to the Detroit Free Press. "Detroit played a key role in the league's early growth, and we're proud to reignite that legacy as the WNBA ascends to new heights. Our plays will bring new energy, investment and infrastructure to our city and the WNBA, and additional resources to our community."