The first new Women’s National Basketball Association team in 15 years is coming to the Bay Area as part of the Golden State Warriors organization, team and league officials have announced.
The expansion team, whose name has not been disclosed, will play home games at Chase Center in San Francisco starting in 2025 while its head office and practice facility will be in Oakland.
“We have been interested in a WNBA franchise for several years, due in part to the rich history of women’s basketball in the Bay Area, and believe now is the ideal time to execute that vision and build upon that legacy,” Warriors co-executive chairman and CEO Joe Lacob said Thursday in a news release.
Game tickets are not yet on sale but fans can pay $25 to place their names on a waiting list to buy season tickets, according to the team’s website.
“Joe Lacob, (Warriors owner) Peter Guber and their leadership team know how to build and operate a world-class organization, as witnessed by the immense success the Warriors’ franchise has enjoyed from both a business and basketball perspective over the last decade,” said WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “Their interest in joining the WNBA family is yet another sign of the league’s growth potential.”
“Golden State’s Oakland Facility, which served as the Warriors’ practice facility and front office from 1997-2019, will be the WNBA team’s headquarters, housing a world-class practice facility and the team’s front office staff,” the NBA said in a press statement.
More information about the new team can be found on the WNBA website.