Although the WNBA is often the subject of jokes, a bid for a Detroit team has drawn attention from prominent investors.
These reportedly include GM CEO Mary Barra, Sheila Ford Hamp, and KC Crain (CEO of Crain Communications, which owns Automotive News, Automobilwoche, and other publications). The bid is led by Tom and Holly Gores, owners of the Detroit Pistons.
Several professional athletes, including Grant Hill, Chris Webber, and Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, are also part of the bid. Other investors include spouses of some of the people mentioned above.
In a statement, Gores said, “This is an exciting opportunity to welcome the WNBA back to Detroit and bring additional investment and economic activity into the city.” He added that the bid “represents an unprecedented opportunity for the league to come full circle and effect a long-hoped-for Detroit homecoming.”
This statement subtly references the Detroit Shock, the team added during the WNBA’s initial expansion. The team set numerous attendance records and won three championships during their roughly decade-long tenure.
However, in 2009, they announced a move to Tulsa, Oklahoma. That decision was puzzling, and they didn’t remain there long, eventually becoming the Dallas Wings.
If the bid is approved, Detroit’s new WNBA team would play at Little Caesars Arena, which is already home to the Pistons and Red Wings. While the team would use an existing facility, the bid includes plans to build a dedicated practice center and team headquarters with courts, locker rooms, and workout areas.
The proposal also features a public sports center with a youth development academy, as well as youth basketball courts, volleyball courts, and multi-purpose fields for soccer, football, and lacrosse, complete with spectator seating.
