WNBA awards Portland as its newest team, leaving Philadelphia out again: ‘It’s bittersweet’
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert had previously named Philadelphia as a potential expansion city. But with three new expansion cities announced since last year, could time be running out for Philadelphia?
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A week that began with the Eagles blowing a last-minute lead during a stunning loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football, got a little worse for some fans in Philadelphia.
On Wednesday, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert officially announced that Portland, Ore., would be home to the league’s 15th and newest franchise.
“More than anything,” Engelbert said during a news conference, “this is a celebration of women’s sports and the continued growth of our league.”
For those who had been advocating for Philly, the nation’s fourth-largest media market, according to Nielsen, the announcement wasn’t unexpected.
The league’s social media account revealed the poorly kept secret Wednesday morning.
But advance knowledge didn’t lessen the sting.
» READ MORE: There’s a Philadelphia WNBA expansion bid, but no one’s saying who’s involved
“As always, every time it’s not us,” Esther Rosen said in a phone interview, “it’s bittersweet. Bitter because it’s not here. Sweet because the game is growing and that’s a good sign for everybody involved.
“I’m still stuck on the bitter a little more than the sweet today,” added Rosen, who started the popular WNBAPhilly account on X in 2021, “but give it a week, it’ll be fine.”
The Oregon franchise will begin play in 2026, and joins the team in Toronto, which was announced in May. The Golden State Valkyries, who were announced in 2023, will play in 2025.
In April, Engelbert, who’s from Collingswood and was named the league’s commissioner in 2019, was “pretty confident” the current 12-team league would add four franchises by 2028.
Engelbert had previously mentioned Philadelphia, Denver, Nashville, and South Florida as potential destinations. Now, presumably, one spot remains.
“I am gravely disappointed,” said Philadelphia city council member Kendra Brooks in a phone interview.
She added: “We have one of the most passionate fan bases in the country, and I’ve seen the energy in the city around the WNBA, and I’m very disappointed with the announcement.”
Hours before the WNBA’s press conference following the announcement, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker officially endorsed the Sixers’ proposal to build a new arena in Center City, near Chinatown. As the WNBA assesses bids for expansion teams, it takes many factors, like potential arenas, into consideration.
Within hours of Parker’s endorsement, opponents rallied near City Hall.
Asked what hurdles the city needs to climb to secure a WNBA team, Brooks, the first Working Families Party member in the city council’s history, said she didn’t know.
“I don’t know whether the debate around the Sixers stadium played a role in what just happened,” she said. “I hope that Josh Harris [the Sixers’ managing partner] is fighting just as hard as I know our fans in Philadelphia are fighting for a WNBA team.”
» READ MORE: Philadelphia deserves a WNBA team. And the Sixers’ Josh Harris should help make that happen | from 2023
Rosen grew up in Conshohocken and attended Plymouth Whitemarsh. She never excelled at sports, but fell in love with basketball.
She said she noticed a dearth of social media support for bringing a WNBA franchise to the city, so she started an account, which now has more than 4,000 followers.
“I’ve been more than happy to see other people join the space and take organizing into their own hands,” she said.
Isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic spurred Jen Leary into action. Leary, a Northeast grad, once was a defensive back for the Liberty Belles in the now-defunct National Women’s Football Association in the early 2000s.
She now organizes WNBA watch parties through her Instagram account, Watch Party PHL.
“I think everybody knew Portland would be the next team,” Leary said via phone. “I’m not really surprised, and I think it makes sense.”
Leary referenced the popularity of The Sports Bra, a popular sports bar in Portland that “provides a space that supports, empowers, and promotes girls and women in sports and in the community,” according to its website.
“If you build it, they will come,” Leary said. “And that’s what I’m trying to do with Watch Party PHL, but on a smaller level …”
» READ MORE: This Philly WNBA watch party wants to show that the city is more than ready for a team
Leary’s first event was when Dawn Staley’s South Carolina squad faced Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the NCAA championship game in April.
Rachel Gregoire works in the national office of Working Families, a pro-labor organization. She grew up in California but inherited her father’s love of Philadelphia sports.
She has organized pop-ups and watch parties across the country.
» READ MORE: The WNBA is expanding to Toronto. What does that mean for Philly?
“I’ve been to WNBA watch parties all over the country, and the ones in Philly are the largest,” she said, “and that’s without having a team.”
She also believes Philadelphia is the next logical choice if the league wants to balance itself geographically after adding two West Coast teams and Toronto in the east.
Still, the Philly fan in her remains guarded.
“I’m hopeful that all signs point to Philly,” she said. “I also don’t want to have my heart broken.”