Excitement building in Philadelphia as city gets its first WNBA team
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The WNBA is coming to Philadelphia.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Englebert announced Monday that Philadelphia is one of three cities that will be getting a WNBA team, taking the total number of teams in the league from 15 to 18.
It will be the first new major pro sports team to come to Philadelphia since 2008.
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"Welcome, Philadelphia, officially to the WNBA," said Englebert in a press conference that announced Philadelphia would be getting its first WNBA team.
Scheduled to hit the hardwood in 2030, the team's majority owner will be Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the same company that owns the 76ers.
Comcast will hold a minority stake in the team.
"We have an opportunity to build something special. A team that girls across the nation can root for and be inspired by," said Josh Blitzer, co-founder of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment.
Jen Leary broke into cheers when she heard the announcement while watching the press conference live on TV.
Leary runs Watch Party PHL, which hosts watch parties for women's sports. She's among those who have pushed for the city to have a WNBA team.
"It's been a lot of hard work from a lot of people behind the scenes, so I'm just really happy for everyone involved and from the city," said Leary.
Back in January, city leaders talked about their desire to have a WNBA team, holding a press conference right after the Sixers' Center City arena deal fell through.
Comedian Wanda Sykes was among those advocating for the city in its bid to get a WNBA team.
Shortly after the announcement on Monday, the WNBA released a new hype video showing women and girls across the city playing basketball. Harris says the team can be a great source of inspiration for female athletes across the country.
The team doesn't have a name yet. It also doesn't have a designated home court. They could play in a new arena that the Sixers' owners had already planned to build. They announced the plan in January.
"We've told everyone that the new arena was 2031. We're sticking to that, but we're putting some extra pressure on ourselves to get it over to 2030," said Harris.
For fans, it can't come soon enough.
"Yes! I'm really excited about this," exclaimed WNBA fan Paige Hartshorn of the news. She and her friend Alyssa Bucci are both athletes and hope the new team is a source of inspiration.
"I think it's really cool and really inspiring for young girls," said Bucci.
They are among a number of people ready for a new era in Philadelphia sports, which is exactly what Harris says the new team will bring.
"We're honored to be a part of this league, this movement, and this city's next great sports chapter," said Harris.
Detroit and Cleveland are the other two cities to get a WNBA team.
WNBA urges fans who want to know about the team and the possibility of tickets to follow the new team on social media and go to its website.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phillywnba/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577854887707
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@phillywnba
Website: https://www.wnba.com/philadelphia
