It’s official! Detroit will have its own WNBA team, backed by familiar and notable names.
NBA legends Grant Hill and Chris Webber are minority team owners of the new WNBA team.
As AFROTECH™ reported, Hill and Webber joined a bid in January 2025, led by Tom Gores, the owner of the Detroit Pistons, to secure a stake in bringing a WNBA team to Detroit. Both Webber and Hill had once played in the city, representing the NBA.
Now, halfway through the year, the group — which also includes football quarterback Jared Goff — has much to celebrate, as their bid for a WNBA team has been approved.
The team is set to launch and begin competing by 2029, with Little Caesars Arena as its home base and a new practice facility in development, according to CBS News.
“This is a huge win for Detroit and the WNBA,” Gores said, per the outlet. “Today marks the long-hoped-for return of the WNBA to a city with deep basketball roots and a championship tradition.”
He added, “Detroit played a key role in the league’s early growth, and we’re proud to reignite that legacy as the WNBA ascends to new heights. Our plans will bring new energy, investment and infrastructure to our city and the WNBA, and additional resources to our community.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer celebrated the news that Detroit will have its own professional women’s basketball team as well.
“As a proud, lifelong Michigander, former mediocre basketball player, and governor of this great state, I’m fired up today for fans across our state. This has been a long time coming, and I’m grateful to everyone who worked so hard to get it done,” Whitmer told CBS News.
She added, “Michiganders are fiercely loyal to all our teams, and we look forward to cheering on women’s basketball not just in the Motor City but across the entire state. Michigan was already the best sports state in the nation, and now it’s even better for women and girls who always play hard and play to win. Let’s go.”
