City Council approved the Sixers arena. Now Philly needs a WNBA team.

The Inquirer is reporting that Philadelphia City Council approved the construction of the $1.3 billion arena for the 76ers in Center City in a preliminary vote. Once approved, construction is expected to start in 2028 and will be completed in 2031, the same year the 76ers’ lease expires at Wells Fargo Center.

This investment in a new arena sets a foundation for real financial support in a bid for a WNBA franchise in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection.

Earlier this year, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced three new franchises in San Francisco, Toronto, and Portland, Ore. This expansion comes amid a multibillion-dollar media rights deal that the WNBA landed as interest in women’s basketball continues to grow behind young superstars like the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark and the Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese.

There is one final opportunity for Philadelphia to finally bring a WNBA franchise to the city. Many influential people have advocated for a team in recent years, and that support needs to continue to grow. This is the perfect — and possibly last — moment for us to make a substantial pitch.

Austin, Texas, Cleveland, Denver, Jacksonville, Fla., Houston, Milwaukee, and St. Louis are all expected to be contenders for the final location. Denver was reportedly one of the finalists alongside Philadelphia and Houston in the last round of bids. It’s unclear if Denver is still pursuing a franchise, but it’s not for a lack of support from the city, with one Denver Post columnist saying that Denver is a “no-brainer” option for the WNBA.

Cleveland’s bid is compelling given its recently renovated Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and its plans for a new downtown training facility. There’s also nostalgia in Cleveland having once had the Cleveland Rockers, one of the original eight WNBA teams from 1997. The Rockers’ last season was in 2003.

There’s even more nostalgia in Houston, where Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson, and Cynthia Cooper of the Houston Comets dominated the league, winning the first four WNBA championships from 1997 to 2000. The owner of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, Tilman Fertitta, is expected to make a bid to bring the Comets back to Houston. “There is such great excitement surrounding the WNBA and women’s sports, and with Houston’s passionate and dedicated fan base, it makes us an ideal fit,” Fertitta told Front Office Sports in September.

Houston probably makes the most compelling argument from a fan perspective, but Philadelphia offers more than just nostalgia.

Of the expected bidders, Philadelphia is the only city that has a brand-new, privately funded arena to offer. The $1.3 billion project for 76 Place at Market East is proposing not just a new home for the Sixers, but also a marketplace for retail and dining with convenience for SEPTA travelers and an event hub for year-round events. The arena will be completely privately funded, a rarity with most arena and stadium projects. 76 Place at Market East projects more than $2 billion in economic impact that will benefit more than 700 businesses.

Comedian and resident Pennsylvanian Wanda Sykes reportedly led the charge in bringing a franchise to Philadelphia in 2022. Sixers co-owner David Adelman is on record as having been in communication with Sykes in making a bid for a team, but Adelman had a few concerns, the first being a new arena. Adelman’s issues with Comcast Spectacor, the company that owns Wells Fargo Center, have been well reported.

Adelman’s frustration with game schedules, underwhelming “cosmetic changes” to the arena, and a fan experience that wasn’t meeting the team’s expectations in part led to the 76ers’ desire to let the relationship with Comcast Spectacor end when their lease expires in 2031. With the new 76 Place at Market East on the horizon, Adelman now has the foundation of what he wanted to help make our case to the league.

The relationship between the 76ers and Comcast Spectacor has withered, and the WNBA team will need a home for at least three years, assuming the team joins the league in 2028. Fortunately, there are short-term options. The Palestra, a historic arena at the University of Pennsylvania that once hosted a 76ers vs. Boston Celtics playoff series, is an ideal option. There is also the home of my Temple Owls, the Liacouras Center, where more than 10,000 seats can accommodate the WNBA’s growing fanbase with a current average attendance of 9,807.

Adelman said in a 2023 interview with Crossing Broad that the WNBA is seeking owners who are disconnected from the NBA, given concerns about the inability of NBA owners to prioritize WNBA franchises.

While logical, this statement contradicts what the WNBA has done in 2024. Joe Lacob, majority owner of the Golden State Warriors, and Alex Bhathal and Lisa Bhathal Merage, the owners of RAJ Sports Group, which owns the Sacramento Kings, landed their bids and are the current majority owners of the Golden State Valkyries and the unnamed Portland WNBA team, respectively.

Philadelphia is a top-five media market in the United States, and Engelbert, a South Jersey native, should be as personally invested as every Philadelphian is in their teams.

We’re also home to several superstars in women’s basketball. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton was born in Philadelphia, went to Smyrna High School in Delaware, and attended Rutgers University, where she set the groundwork for her successful WNBA career. Laney-Hamilton has played in back-to-back WNBA championships and became a WNBA champion with the New York Liberty this year.

There’s also Natasha Cloud, a Delaware County native who played for St. Joseph’s and won a WNBA championship in 2019 with the Washington Mystics. Cloud has advocated for bringing a team to Philadelphia. “I’m trying my damndest to bring a team back to Philly because that’s my ultimate dream,” Cloud said in an interview with radio personality Mina SayWhat.

Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper, a kid from “Norf” Philly, was the 2021 WNBA Finals MVP with the Chicago Sky and a member of the 2024 Olympic team that brought home gold from Paris.

North Philly’s own Dawn Staley was the head coach of the Temple Owls and now the South Carolina Gamecocks, the latter earning a perfect 32-0 record in the 2023-24 season and winning the 2024 NCAA national championship. “I think the city is buzzing right now for sports, so I think we’re ready. I hope we’re one of the lucky cities that will get a WNBA franchise,” Staley told The Inquirer.

David Adelman, the arena is coming — and by your own admission, this was what you needed to start taking seriously our bid for a franchise. The same applies to Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, who also has been supportive and excited about bringing a team here. This isn’t a charity investment. Philadelphia is the greatest sports city in the country, and deserving of a professional women’s basketball team.

For the fans, let’s keep advocating. I encourage everyone to follow @WNBAPhilly on X and Bluesky and attend a Watch Party PHL event. Their dedication to bringing a team to Philly has been unwavering. Let’s get behind the movement and show the league how badly we want this.

Roman White is a graduate student at Temple University’s School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management.