Timeline of the WNBA
(Redirected from Draft:Timeline of the WNBA)
The following is a timeline of organizational changes in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), a women's professional basketball league in the United States that began play in 1997 with 8 teams and now comprises 13 teams (scheduled to expand to 15 in 2026). This article includes expansions, contractions, and relocations.[1][2]
Timeline
[edit]Current member Former member Relocated member Future member
Summary
[edit]| Season(s) | No. of teams |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 8 |
| 1998 | 10 |
| 1999 | 12 |
| 2000–2002 | 16 |
| 2003 | 14 |
| 2004–2005 | 13 |
| 2006 | 14 |
| 2007 | 13 |
| 2008 | 14 |
| 2009 | 13 |
| 2010–2024 | 12 |
| 2025 | 13 |
| 2026–Future | 15 |
Relocated teams
[edit]- Orlando Miracle (1999–2002) – relocated to Connecticut, to become the Connecticut Sun (2003–present)
- Utah Starzz (1997–2002) – relocated to San Antonio to become the San Antonio Silver Stars (2003–2013), rebranded as the San Antonio Stars (2014–2017), and relocated again to Paradise, Nevada, to become the Las Vegas Aces (2018–present)
- Detroit Shock (1998–2009) – relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to become the Tulsa Shock (2010–2015) and then to Arlington, Texas, to become the Dallas Wings (2016–present)
Folded teams
[edit]- Charlotte Sting – 1997–2006
- Cleveland Rockers – 1997–2003
- Houston Comets – 1997–2008
- Miami Sol – 2000–2002
- Portland Fire – 2000–2002
- Sacramento Monarchs – 1997–2009
1997–2002: Early years
[edit]1997: Inaugural season (8 teams)
[edit]The league operated its inaugural season in 1997 with eight teams split into two conferences.[3]
| Eastern | Western |
|---|---|
| Charlotte Sting | Los Angeles Sparks |
| Cleveland Rockers | Phoenix Mercury |
| Houston Comets | Sacramento Monarchs |
| New York Liberty | Utah Starzz |
1998: First expansion (10 teams)
[edit]- The Detroit Shock and Washington Mystics were added and placed in the Eastern Conference.
- The Houston Comets moved to the Western Conference.
| Team's first season in the WNBA * | Team switched conferences ‡ |
1999: Second expansion (12 teams)
[edit]- The Minnesota Lynx and Orlando Miracle were added.
- The Miracle were placed in the Eastern Conference, while the Lynx were placed in the Western Conference.
| Team's first season in the WNBA * |
2000–2001: Third expansion (16 teams)
[edit]- The Indiana Fever, Miami Sol, Portland Fire, and Seattle Storm were added.
- The Fever and the Sol were placed in the Eastern Conference, while the Fire and the Storm were placed in the Western Conference.
| Team's first season in the WNBA (2000) * |
2002: Miami and Portland fold (16 teams)
[edit]- The Miami Sol and Portland Fire folded after the season.
| Team folded after the season † |
2003–2009: Contraction & expansion
[edit]2003: Orlando and Utah relocate, Cleveland folds (14 teams)
[edit]- The Orlando Miracle relocated to Connecticut to become the Connecticut Sun.[4]
- The Utah Starzz relocated to San Antonio to become the San Antonio Silver Stars.[5]
- The Cleveland Rockers folded after the season.
| Team folded after the season † |
2004–2005 (13 teams)
[edit]2006: Chicago added and Charlotte folds (14 teams)
[edit]- The Chicago Sky was added and placed in the Eastern Conference.
- The Charlotte Sting folded after the season.
| Team's first season in the WNBA * | Team folded after the season † |
2007 (13 teams)
[edit]2008: Atlanta added and Houston folds (14 teams)
[edit]- The Atlanta Dream was added and placed in the Eastern Conference.
- The Houston Comets folded after the season.
| Team's first season in the WNBA * | Team folded after the season † |
2009: Sacramento folds (13 teams)
[edit]- The Sacramento Monarchs folded after the season.
| Team folded after the season † |
2010–2024: Relocations
[edit]2010: Detroit relocates (12 teams)
[edit]- The Detroit Shock relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma to become the Tulsa Shock and moved to the Western Conference.[6]
| Team switched conferences ‡ |
2014: San Antonio rebrands (12 teams)
[edit]- The San Antonio Silver Stars rebranded as the San Antonio Stars.[5]
2016: Tulsa relocates (12 teams)
[edit]- The Tulsa Shock relocated to Arlington, Texas to become the Dallas Wings.[7]
2018: San Antonio relocates (12 teams)
[edit]- The San Antonio Stars relocated to Paradise, Nevada to become the Las Vegas Aces.[8]
2025–present: Expansion era
[edit]2025: Golden State added (13 teams)
[edit]- The Golden State Valkyries was added and placed in the Western Conference.[1]
| Team's first season in the WNBA * |
2026: Portland and Toronto to be added (15 teams)
[edit]- Portland and Toronto Tempo are scheduled to be added.
- Portland will most likely be placed in the Western Conference, while the Tempo will be placed in the Eastern Conference[9].
| Team's first season in the WNBA * |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "How Many WNBA Teams Are There? Running Through the History of WNBA Contraction and Expansion". SI. 2025-04-29. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ^ "List of all the WNBA Teams". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ^ "WNBA.com: History of the WNBA". www.wnba.com. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
The Eastern Conference consisted of the Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers, Houston Comets and New York Liberty while the Western Conference comprised the Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury, Sacramento Monarchs and Utah Starzz.
- ^ "Connecticut Sun | EBSCO Research Starters". www.ebsco.com. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
- ^ a b "San Antonio Season Statistics". aces.wnba.com. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
- ^ "WNBA officially announces Shock move to Tulsa". ESPN.com. 2009-10-20. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
- ^ Heinz • •, Frank (2015-11-02). "WNBA's Tulsa Shock Gets New Name, New Home in Arlington". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
- ^ "Las Vegas Aces | EBSCO Research Starters". www.ebsco.com. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ "Tickets - WNBA". www.wnba.com. Retrieved 2025-05-29.