Philadelphia Aims High: Mayor and 76ers Unite to Bring WNBA Team to the City
Ambitious plans are underway to bring a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team to Philadelphia, spearheaded by Mayor Cherelle Parker and the Philadelphia 76ers. This new push occurs years after the initial effort to secure a WNBA franchise around the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mayor Parker recently presented a compelling 80-slide proposal for a new arena, dubbed 76 Place. Estimated to cost $1.3 billion, the state-of-the-art facility is planned to sit between Market and Filbert streets and 10th and 11th streets. The Sixers envision that 76 Place will not just be their new home but also the future home for a WNBA team.
The Sixers, who relocated from Syracuse, N.Y., back in May 1963, aim to transition to 76 Place by the time their lease at Wells Fargo Center expires in 2031. The new agreement with the city guarantees the Sixers’ presence in Philadelphia at least until 2061.
In a forward-thinking move, Mayor Parker has aligned her ambitions for the new arena with the broader goal of securing a WNBA franchise for the city. "We were able to secure support from the governor, from the city, its administration, and legislative body. Although they were not successful, you all know me. I don't take no easy. I want us to keep working extremely hard, as hard as we can, united together,” Parker asserted.
Presently, the WNBA is expanding its horizon, growing from 12 to at least 15 teams by 2026, with new franchises such as the Golden State Valkyries set to debut next season. Following this, both Toronto and Portland will launch their WNBA teams the subsequent year. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has projected that the league can stretch to 16 teams by 2028.
Mayor Parker's vision for the city doesn’t stop at just having a new arena. She believes 76 Place could be the linchpin for securing Philadelphia's place in the expanding WNBA landscape. “I will tell you that with this new Sixers arena there, there is no one who can tell me that Philadelphia would just not have upped its position in trying, and trying to pursue a WNBA team for our great city,” Parker affirmed.
The sentiment is echoed by the Sixers organization. "We share in Mayor Parker's desire to bring a WNBA franchise to Philadelphia and have been engaged with the league on the process. Our goal is for our new arena to serve as home to both the 76ers and a WNBA franchise,” a Sixers spokesperson confirmed.
The plan to bring a WNBA team to Philadelphia symbolizes the city's commitment to sports and inclusivity. The union between Mayor Parker and the Sixers’ management underscores a strategic effort to make the proposal a reality, despite previous setbacks. The timeline aligns well with the WNBA’s plans for expansion, creating a window of opportunity that Philadelphia seems poised to seize.
With 76 Place at the heart of this initiative, Philadelphia stands on the brink of a significant transformation in its sports offerings. Should this ambitious plan come to fruition, basketball fans in the city will have much to look forward to, potentially heralding a new era of sports excellence and community engagement in the City of Brotherly Love.