Three new teams are slated to come to the WNBA over the next two years. The Golden State Valkyries will kick off their inaugural season in 2025, while teams in Toronto and Portland are coming to the league in 2026. While this would bring the league up to 15 teams, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has expressed that she wants the WNBA to have 16 teams by 2028, and there are plenty of cities that make a ton of sense as this round of expansion gets wrapped up.
Apparently, Kansas City is one such place, and a group spearheaded by Patrick and Brittany Mahomes is working to get the WNBA to come to their city. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the pair met with the league along with the rest of the ownership group of the KC Current, the city’s NWSL team.
“As WNBA expansion continues, ownership of the NWSL’s KC Current — which includes Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany — has met with the WNBA and is in contention to bring the league’s next franchise to Kansas City,” Schefter said. “Mahomes also co-owns the KC Royals and Sporting KC.”
There’s no word on a potential timetable for when the league will announce its 16th team. As for what’s next on the expansion horizon, the Valkyries will build out their roster via an expansion draft in December.