The WNBA continues to grow.

The league announced on Monday that it is adding new franchises to Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia over the next five years.

Cleveland will begin play in 2028, Detroit will join the league the following year and Philadelphia will debut a year later.

With expansion teams arriving in Toronto and Portland in 2026, the WNBA will be at 18 teams by 2030.

"The demand for women's basketball has never been higher, and we are thrilled to welcome Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia to the WNBA family," WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. "This historic expansion is a powerful reflection of our league's extraordinary momentum, the depth of talent across the game, and the surging demand for investment in women’s professional basketball."

HISTORIC MOMENT ALERT

The W is leveling UP — three new teams, three new cities, one unstoppable future.

Say hello to our newest expansion teams:
@clevelandwnba - coming 2028
@DetroitWNBA - coming 2029
@philawnba - coming 2030

New energy. New legacies. New era.… pic.twitter.com/6ZXaHPxkEw

— WNBA (@WNBA) June 30, 2025

Both Cleveland and Detroit previously had WNBA teams, and their expansion clubs will play at the NBA arenas in those cities. Philadelphia is planning to construct a new venue that they hope will be completed in time for the franchise's first game.

The previous Cleveland team was nicknamed the Rockers and the Detroit team was called the Shock, and the ownership groups of the new franchises in those cities said the prior names would be considered, but they will explore other options before deciding on a name.

The Detroit WNBA franchise ownership group is led by Pistons owner Tom Gores, while Detroit sports stars Grant Hill, Chris Webber and Jared Goff will have minority ownership stakes in the team.

Philadelphia will be owned and operated by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment Managing Partner and co-founder Josh Harris, who owns the 76ers, and Cleveland will be run by Rock Entertainment Group.

"It's such a natural fit that when you already have this basketball-related infrastructure, these strategies, cultures that you find to be successful, combinations of personnel that you find to be successful," said Nic Barlage, CEO of Rock Entertainment Group and the Cavaliers. "Extending that into the WNBA, is just a natural next progression, especially if you have a desire to grow like we do."