76ers’ New Arena Plans Could Help Bring WNBA Franchise to Philly

With a new 76ers arena, the WNBA could have its eyes on Philadelphia for a new franchise.

Jul 9, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; The WNBA logo on the court at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Will Philadelphia make a push for a WNBA team in the future? According to a report from Front Office Sports, the Philadelphia 76ers are keeping a future franchise in mind as they work on bringing the new arena plans to life.

For the last couple of years, it’s become clear the Sixers weren’t going to call the Wells Fargo Center home for much longer. As tenants, the Sixers have leased the arena and will see their deal expire at the end of the decade.

While the Sixers have had plans to move the team’s home downtown and away from the South Philly complex, they have received tons of backlash over time. However, they received nothing but support from the city’s Mayor, Cherelle Parker.

At this point, Parker announced plans to try and push the new arena idea forward. While the Sixers haven’t reached the finish line just yet, it is in their sights.

As the team prepares for a potential pass to start getting to work on the new building, it’s becoming more clear that bringing a WNBA team to Philadelphia is a growing priority.

“We share in Mayor Parker’s desire to bring a WNBA franchise to Philadelphia and have been engaged with the league on the process,” a Sixers spokesperson told FOS. “Our goal is for our new arena to serve as home to both the 76ers and a WNBA franchise.”

The WNBA, founded in 1996, has never featured a Philadelphia franchise. Currently, there are 12 active teams in the league, including the surrounding New York Liberty and the Washington Mystics.

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Over the next two years, the league will add three new teams. In 2025, California will get another team as the Golden State Valkyries are set to join in on the action. In 2026, there will be teams in Toronto and Portland getting in as well.

The league has never been in better shape. As a result, several cities are expected to make a bid for a new franchise. While Philadelphia is in the picture, they definitely have competition. Nashville, Denver, Miami, and Houston have all been tossed in as potential locations for a new franchise as well.

A new arena would help Philadelphia’s bid, but that process hasn’t been completed at this time. Although the Sixers are receiving support from a key politician, the city council needs to vote it through officially.