The WNBA said Monday it will award franchises to Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia, marking the league’s largest single-day expansion and setting it on course to field 18 clubs by 2030. Cleveland will debut in 2028, Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030, each paying a record $250 million expansion fee. All three teams are backed by NBA ownership groups: Dan Gilbert’s Rock Entertainment Group in Cleveland, Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores—joined by Grant Hill, Chris Webber and Lions quarterback Jared Goff—in Detroit, and 76ers principal owner Josh Harris in Philadelphia. The new teams will share NBA arenas—Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Little Caesars Arena and a planned South Philadelphia venue that could open in 2030, with Wells Fargo Center serving as a temporary home if needed—while building dedicated practice facilities. “The demand for women’s basketball has never been higher,” Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said, calling the move “a transformational investment in the future of the sport.” Monday’s announcement follows the 2025 debut of the Golden State Valkyries and planned 2026 launches in Toronto and Portland, underscoring a rapid growth phase driven by record attendance, rising television ratings and an 11-year media-rights deal reportedly worth about $200 million a season.