My prayers have been answered—Philadelphia is getting a WNBA expansion team—and honestly, I didn’t even have to work that hard for it. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert just kinda gave it to me. (She must have read my article about the Sixers.) I do have to wait until 2030 for the team to start playing, though.

In addition to Philadelphia, Cleveland (2028), and Detroit (2029) are the next crop of cities to be awarded expansion teams. Both cities were previously home to WNBA franchises: the Cleveland Rockers operated from 1997-2003 and the Detroit Shock (now the Dallas Wings) from 1998-2009.

The announcement of these three cities has already sparked controversy. Most fans, myself included, are excited about the league’s newest teams. Several players, on the other hand, including big names like Phoenix’s Satou Sabally and Los Angeles’ Cameron Brink, have expressed concerns over expanding franchises before adding roster spots (teams can currently carry a maximum of 12 players, and many only have 11 due to salary cap space). And Indiana’s Sophie Cunningham isn’t so thrilled about the cities that were chosen, saying “I don’t know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or [Cleveland].”

Amidst the controversy, I’m going to give you my personal take on expansion: I’m stoked!I can’t wait. I’ll be buying season tickets for the Philadelphia team as soon as they become available. But now that I’ve gotten my selfish excitement out of the way, I’ll give my thoughts on expansion as it affects the league as a whole.

First, I believe the league is making the right move in expanding the number of franchises before increasing roster sizes. By increasing the WNBA’s footprint, the league will increase their fanbase, which in turn will bring in more revenue and allow roster sizes to expand in the future. Just look at what the Golden State Valkyries have done–they sold out season tickets long before they played their first game and are leading the league in attendance (and Caitlin Clark doesn’t even play for them). They were recently valued at $500 million, making them the most valuable WNBA franchise in year one, showing how fruitful expansion can be when done the right way. #Ballhalla

I’ve also heard some people express concerns over the dilution of talent, which I think is ridiculous. Every year, dozens of incredibly talented, WNBA-worthy players get waived and/or cut because there simply aren’t enough roster spots. With expansion, those players will finally be able to find permanent homes, and that’s not to mention the talent coming out of the NCAA over the next few years: JuJu Watkins, Azzi Fudd, Olivia Miles, Hannah Hidalgo, Lauren Betts, Madison Booker… I could keep going.

However, I do have one major concern about the upcoming expansion: Are there going to be expansion drafts every year from now until 2030? I understand not wanting to add too many teams too soon given the history of franchises folding, but the downside of that is the pure chaos that will result from holding five expansion drafts over the next five years. That’s up to 12 players each year being taken away from their current team, in addition to trades and free agency movement. Chaos.

In any event, it’s still early days and we don’t have all the information yet. Consider me 90% thrilled and 10% concerned.

What about you? Give me your take on expansion in the comments.

Yours in hoops,

Katie