How More Expansion Will Impact the WNBA + All-Star Starters

It’s official: starting in 2028, Cleveland will be home to the newest WNBA franchise – followed by Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030. Zena, Ben, and Sabreena break down how these cities were decided upon, what all this expansion means for players and teams in the WNBA, what impact NBA teams and ownership have on expansion in the W, and so much more.  Plus, Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier are set to captain the two teams for WNBA All-Star Weekend, and Ben reveals the remaining eight starters live to Sabreena and Zena. To wrap, the crew attempts to name the newest WNBA expansion teams. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6461854/2025/06/30/wnba-power-rankings-angel-reese-chicago-sky/ https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6462405/2025/06/30/wnba-expansion-philadelphia-cleveland-detroit/ https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6461072/2025/06/29/caitlin-clark-napheesa-collier-wnba-all-star-captains/ 00:00 Intro 00:00:14 - All-Star Game Captains and Starters Revealed 00:06:01 - The Sabreena Scale 00:17:10 - WNBA Expansion 00:26:41 - NBA Involvement in WNBA Expansion 00:30:22 - The Ripple Effects of Expansion for Teams and Players 00:40:23 - Possible Schedule Expansion 00:45:20 - Second-Chance Franchises: What’s Different This Time? 00:50:34 - Name That WNBA Expansion Team #wnba #allstar #wnbaexpansion Thumbnail: Cooper Neill, Stacy Revere via Getty Images Follow and listen to the audio podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/no-offseason-the-athletic-womens-basketball-show/id1699815468 Leave a comment wherever you’re listening, or email us at NoOffseason@TheAthletic.com. You can also find us on socials: -Instagram: @tanooffseason -TikTok: @no_offseason -Zena on BlueSky: @zenakeita -Ben on BlueSky: @benpickman -Sabreena on BlueSky: @sabreenajm -Chantel on BlueSky: @chanteljennings Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports Hub: https://sports.yahoo.com/womens-sports/?guccounter=1