At the 2024 draft, WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert said the goal is to grow the league from 12 teams to 16 teams by 2028.
The league is halfway there after announcing plans Friday for a Toronto franchise to begin in 2026 on the heels of Golden State — the first expansion team in the league since the Atlanta Dream in 2008 — embarking on its first season in 2025.
Golden State officially announced Tuesday it had adopted Valkyries as its nickname.
The selection of Toronto is no surprise given the city’s success with exhibition games the past two years before sold-out crowds. The new Bay Area team hopes to benefit from a rich basketball area, a loyal Warriors fan base and a known ally in Stephen Curry.
“Steph is obviously such a powerful person. He’s an incredible ally and watching him and Sabrina [Ionescu] have those moments together [at the NBA All-Star weekend 3-point contest], I think, was such a visual representation of how we actually want to build inside,” Golden State WNBA president Jess Smith told The Post at the ESPNW New York City Summit last week. “Like the Warriors and the WNBA, both unique and powerful in their own right and yet connected. So, we’re really fortunate that that exists in the first place, but being in the sphere of the Warriors and how they do business and the trust they have in the marketplace, is hugely beneficial.
“People expect them to win, but they also expect them to do what’s right. And I can say that’s what we’re gonna do all day, but they’re like, ‘No, we kind of have the case study over here. We get it.’ So, it is helpful in this journey, for sure.”
In building its brand, Golden State wants to push beyond the misconception that women’s sports are just for families, said Smith, who helped build the NWSL’s Angel City FC into an $180 million franchise — the highest in the league — according to Sportico.
The team is making an effort to target 20- to 40-year-olds who are willing to go all-in on its product.
Golden State has already collected 7,500 seat deposits and plan to keep its foot on the gas as women’s basketball continues to grow with an influx of star power, led by Caitlin Clark.
“You should never make the assumption of who your fans will be, especially as a new team,” Smith said. “For us, we’re building our brand with NBA fans and the intentionality around women’s sports. We want to be something that’s a soft landing spot, no matter if you’re interested in like girls flag football, which is running wild right now, volleyball. We feel like we represent a bigger picture versus just the sport of basketball.”
There are no details yet of how Golden State and Toronto will create their rosters, but Smith said an expansion draft is “certainly in the talks” along with utilizing free agency and the college draft.
On May 6, Golden State hired Ohemma Nyanin as its general manager to build its first roster after she served as the Liberty’s assistant general manager last season when they made a run to their first WNBA Finals appearance since 2002.