Aces hesitant about WNBA expansion, say other issues come first

Kelsey Plum said she knows expansion is important. She understands the WNBA needs to grow and enter new markets.

Seated at a press conference with Aces teammates Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young ahead of Friday’s All-Star Game practice, Plum was asked where she’d like to see a WNBA expansion team.

Instead, Plum — the first vice president of the WNBA Players Association — said she isn’t sure how she feels about expansion, despite her understanding of its necessity.

“I feel like we have some holes that we can work on currently,” Plum said. “We can do a better job of figuring out ways to fix some of the current issues we have coming up.”

Expansion has been an important topic in the WNBA for years. The league, founded in 1997, hasn’t granted an expansion franchise since 2008 when the Atlanta Dream were launched.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert briefly addressed expansion in her opening statement during her state of the league address Saturday.

“Our conversations with potential ownership groups are headed in the right direction,” she said. “And we will have some more news to announce on that at a later date this season.”

WNBA expansion has become a major topic in recent seasons because of the lack of opportunity for young players in the league. Teams are allowed only 12 players on their rosters, and many teams, including the Aces, only carry 11 because of the salary cap.

Roster expansion would require changes to the collective bargaining agreement. The current CBA expires after the 2027 season, but can be terminated early in 2025 by either the WNBA or the WNBPA. Still, the fastest way to add roster spots is by expanding the league.

The WNBA is due for an expansion anyway. A good comparison can be found in Major League Soccer.

Debuting one season before the WNBA, MLS had 14 teams in 2008 when the WNBA added the Dream. MLS now has 29 teams, with a 30th franchise in San Diego scheduled to join in 2025. The National Women’s Soccer League, which didn’t begin play until 2013, is at 12 teams with plans to add franchises in the Bay Area and Salt Lake City for 2024.

In contrast, the WNBA has lost two teams since adding the Dream, as the Houston Comets and Sacramento Monarchs folded in 2008 and 2009, respectively.

There are signs the WNBA is seriously pursuing expansion. Toronto hosted a preseason game in May between the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx at Scotiabank Arena, home of the NBA’s Raptors and NHL’s Maple Leafs, and the game drew 19,923 fans, a sellout.

“We were thrilled with the outcome there,” Engelbert said. “We’re still talking about it. There’s still a lot of buzz, and we appreciate our counterparts in Canada making it so successful.”

Toronto isn’t the only city players are interested in seeing get an expansion team. The Bay Area, Philadelphia, Portland, Oregon and Nashville, Tennessee, have all been mentioned. Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale said she’d like her hometown Milwaukee to get a team, and All-Star captain A’ja Wilson of the Aces campaigned for Charlotte, North Carolina, so she could have easier access to the fast-food chain Bojangles.

However, Plum’s concerns were also echoed by other players. She mentioned the need for charter flights and a higher salary cap as a few of the many issues she believes the league needs to clear up before spending time on expansion.

Charters will be particularly important for logistical planning if the league expands outside of the U.S., something Engelbert repeatedly stated was a goal, as she views the league as a global women’s basketball entity.

“If you were to poll the players right now,” Plum said, “and ask if they’d rather have expansion or charter, I think it’s a pretty clear consensus across the board.”

Gray and Wilson agreed. Wilson, the reigning WNBA MVP, referenced how Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner was harassed in an airport in Dallas in mid-June, saying player protection should be the league’s biggest concern. She also said roster expansion, instead of league expansion, could increase opportunities for young players.

“You need to take care of what you have now before you can expand and grow,” Wilson said. “I think that comes from the owners. I think we should put owners on the book and say, ‘Hey, put your money where your mouth is and protect your players.’

“Make sure they have everything they need — not just basic human needs but everything they need — to be successful and play well.”

Contact reporter Andy Yamashita at ayamashita@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ANYamashita on Twitter.