WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said New England is among the regions being considered for future expansion, with a potential return of the league to the area sometime around 2030.
At the conclusion of the WNBA's 30th season, the league will be without a franchise in the New England region. The league's commissioner hinted at a possible return of a franchise in the area in the near future.
Earlier this year, the Mohegan Tribe sold the Connecticut Sun to Tilman Fertitta, who is the owner of the Houston Rockets, for a reported $300 million. In 2024, he expressed his interest in reviving the Houston Comets, a franchise that won four consecutive titles before it ceased operations.
Fertitta plans to move the Sun to Houston to restore the Comets franchise. When asked by a group of reporters in Portland, Oregon, on June 11, before the Portland Fire and the Las Vegas Aces played, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert didn't rule out the possibility of another franchise in or near New England.
"Great fanbase," Engelbert said. "When you look at — I think they're going to do a couple of games in Hartford this year, another game in Boston... New England is a great market for sports. So, yeah, do I foresee in the 2030's, if we were to do expansion again, them being part of the process, that region? Yes," she added.
Upcoming Expansion
Engelbert's focus since being named commissioner in 2019 has been to expand the league's number of teams. In 2024, she expressed her desires to expand to 16 teams by 2028.
Needless to say, she has accomplished the goal of expansion, with the league set to add Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia. With the expansion set to take place with three new teams, the league will reach 18 teams by 2030.
The Golden State Valkyries debuted in 2025, while the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire played their first game this season.
While expansion is a possibility in the New England region, Engelbert made it clear that the league did not receive a bid from any Boston ownership group during the last round of expansion.
Connecticut entered the league formally known as the Orlando Miracle and played in Florida from 1999 to 2002. The franchise relocated to Uncasville, Connecticut, in 2003.
The Sun have never won a title, and after seven seasons of making the postseason, the team has been rebuilding the last two seasons. Currently, the franchise is 2-12 and is struggling to find its identity.
As the league continues its 30th season, the future continues to point to expansion and growth for women's basketball.
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