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New Teams, New Stars: Why the WNBA Expansion Will Work

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The WNBA expansion plan will grow the league from 12 to 18 teams by 2030, creating exciting opportunities for players and fans alike. History shows how previous expansions transformed careers and created new basketball powerhouses.

• WNBA began with 8 teams in 1997, expanded to 16 by 2000, then contracted to 12
• Current expansion adds Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire (2026), Boston (2027), Cleveland Rockers (2028), Detroit Shock (2029), and Philadelphia (2030)
• Expansion creates 60 additional roster spots for talented players
• Players like Kayla Thornton and Brandy Reed demonstrated how expansion drafts can revitalize careers
• New franchises could become homes for veteran stars or form potential super teams
• Expanding rosters from 12 to 15 players would create even more opportunities
• League's upward trajectory makes this the perfect time for expansion

Please make sure to like, subscribe, comment, and tell anyone who's anyone about the show. Continue supporting the WNBA as we try to get these expansion teams going!


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Speaker 1:

What's up everybody? It's your favorite show's favorite show, get a Bucket. I'm your host, trey, and as usual, I hope you're all having a wonderful, wonderful day. Now, today we're going to talk about the WNBA expansion because a couple of y'all has been saying a few things. But before we get more into that, please make sure to hit that like and subscribe button. Comment, tell anyone who's anyone about the show, trying to get the ratings up a little bit. You, we're going to talk about the WNBA expansion Now.

Speaker 1:

Some of y'all on my pages have been saying well, the expansion is not really going to be as good as I'm thinking, and everybody else Right, and I, I, I hear you, I hear you. Matter of fact, I get it because you might be thinking well, based on what happened in the past, history repeats itself. So I get it, I get. Now y'all might be wondering well, what happened in the past? Well, that's why we're here to talk about the history, right quick, of the expansion. So, as we can see on the screen, the WNBA was founded in 1997. Now we had eight teams my Sparks, the Houston Comets, the Cleveland Rockers, the Phoenix Mercury, the New York Liberty, the Sacramento Monarchs, the Charlotte Sting and the Utah Stars. Those were the eight teams that that were at the beginning. All right, they was at the beginning. Now, since that time, going up to 2000, we had about 16 total teams and that's been the most teams the WNBA has had. And at one time all right, good times, good times. Anytime you need a payment, good times, like I promise you those are good times. We lost four teams from 2000 to like what? 2009. So I hear you guys when you're saying the expansion is not going to go as well as we think it might, because we've already expanded. We went from eight to 16, to 12. I hear you, but let's factor into what. We've had some rebrands, all right, and some of these teams might be making a U-turn. Okay, they might be making a comeback. So, because of that and you also got to remember too we're in a trend where WNBA is trending upwards. Okay, like, this is a nice little situation that the WNBA is in. Because of that, as you can see, we're going from 12 teams to 18. And keep in mind that that 12 does not include the Golden State Valkyries, who are currently in playoff contention.

Speaker 1:

Now we could talk about how there are less teams, how people talk about there are eight teams back in the day. Oh, everybody could get to playoffs. All right, cool, you could try to make that the case for the Valkyries. They still hooping, though they're playing who's in front of them. So again, ladies and gentlemen, there's no real reason why we can't expect these new teams to come up and perform pretty well Pretty quickly too, by the way, like some of these rebranded teams in the NBA, they did pretty well pretty soon. Remember OKC, their champs? Now, right, they went from Seattle to OKC and we're doing pretty well with Kevin Durant, james Harden and Russell Westbrook. So again, new teams forming, expanding. You get to see new talent, ladies and gentlemen. That's what I'm looking forward to. So the expansion has not come, so let's talk about the future impacts that the expansion might have Now for me, I do like the fact that the expansion is going to be bringing in new talent.

Speaker 1:

Like I said, 18 teams, ladies and gentlemen. We have, of course, the Golden State Valkyries, which we're now including, but that's not part of the five that this article is talking about. You got the Toronto Tem this article is talking about. You got the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire. They come in 2026. You got the Connecticut Sun becoming a team in Boston. That's supposed to happen as early as 2027. Then we got the Cleveland Rockers, probably making a return in 2028. The Detroit Shock probably making a return in 2029. I'm saying probably because of the last names, the Rockers and the Shock. They probably going to bring back the names. Then the Philadelphia Blitzes I don't know, I'm basing this off of the owners because that's what it seems to be like. But either way, philly getting to Team 2030.

Speaker 1:

Ladies and gentlemen, I get that there might be some CBA concerns. We're hearing lockouts, right? Rest assured, the WNBA is going to continue. The women are going to get paid their worth, but it's not going to be an obscene amount too. We got to work towards the number that they probably actually want. That's just my personal opinion. I'm not behind the scenes. I don't know the exact number that they want, but I did. That's just my personal opinion. I'm not behind the scenes. I don't know the exact number that they won't, but I did think when they got the initial deal done let's play for about three seasons and show that the league is valued at what it is, and you can then tax later on, right, all right, cool. So this 60 additional roster spots by 2030,. Ladies and gentlemen, I genuinely do like that. Ok, because when I'm looking at this, right here, again, we're talking about 18 teams. Later on, 13 teams. Right here they cool.

Speaker 1:

But again, ladies and gentlemen, I'm talking about 60 additional roster spots by 2030. We're talking about new opportunities. Imagine the trade deadline just passed, right? Well, what about some of the players that got waived? Couldn't they be on teams now? Like, don't we have new opportunities? Aren't you excited to hear these names called? Don't we have new opportunities? Aren't you excited to hear these names called?

Speaker 1:

Because, again, let's think of, like a Kayla Thornton for an example, right, like, I think you all know Kayla Thornton fairly decently, right, if you don't, here she is. Well, kayla Thornton was on the Liberty. Okay, pete, actually, before we scroll down, all-star one time. And a wmba champ 2024. Let's go to her stats. Right, fast, 2024 stats six points, three, three rebounds, one assist, one steal like those are solid numbers for the role that she played. But this next season, well, she's able to actually be more of a star and well, she gave an all-star performance.

Speaker 1:

So again, ladies and gentlemen, some of these players just need the opportunity to actually showcase what their real worth is and a lot of times on teams you don't. Everybody has roles and unless you that, unless you that person, or unless you get the right timing, hey, you might just have to be a role player champ. You might have to be what Kayla Thornton was 2024, that she became a champion off of that 2025, we look at Kayla Thornton a little bit differently. Hey, kayla, you might be able to lead your team to a playoffs because the Valkyries, in their debut season, they were about to do that. How about in a situation like the Lynx had with Brandi Reid?

Speaker 1:

Okay, now, brandi Reid, if y'all peep, is a one-time all-star. Ladies and gentlemen, y'all see that the picture's not there? All right, cool, I get you, I get you. So, for those of y'all see that the picture's not there, all right, cool, I get you, I get you. So, for those of y'all who's wondering who Brandi Reed is this Brandi right here, that's Brandi, that's Brandi. So I hope y'all getting a good glimpse, all right.

Speaker 1:

But Brandi Reed, I bring her up, ladies and gentlemen, because this girl, she was part of the 1999 expansion draft, okay, okay, and then became an all-star. I don't know if y'all peeping these trends right now, the expansion draft. Then, shortly after all-star berth, like Kayla Thornton, all-star berth 2025. Right as the expansion draft hit, brandi Reid, she had the expansion draft. Then you got the all-star berth in 2000. I'll be peeping a little trend MVP discussion even Like, ladies and gentlemen, that's not y'all see the MVP discussion right here. Y'all. Come on now. That's not bad. That's not bad.

Speaker 1:

But more importantly, 19.6 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block on 51-42-90 splits. Brandy Reed, you might be wondering why you ain't heard of her too much. That was because of disciplinary actions. So I do hear you. That has nothing to do with the expansion draft, though, like that has everything to do with Brandy Reed the player, because, again, these players' mindsets, they have a chip on their shoulder. They're trying to showcase their actual value. Now they have the opportunity to do so.

Speaker 1:

Again, brandi Reid yeah, five points to then 16. That's pure opportunity. That's pure opportunity, ladies and gentlemen. Again Kayla Thornton, same thing Five points to 14. That's pure opportunity, that's pure opportunity. So, mindset goes a long way, or what about this? What about?

Speaker 1:

Let's look at some of these current teams, right? What about some of the new teams, now that we, or the teams, now that we admire the big trios, right, the big stars of today's game. What happens when they get older? What happens if the young guns start to usurp the league? We already saw three rookies starting or being in the All-Star game. We got some young players in the All-Star game already. Every year, for the last three, four seasons, a rookie has been at least entering the All-Star game. That's nothing to scoff at.

Speaker 1:

You may want to pay attention Out with the old, in with the new. Well, these old guns are going to have to go somewhere. These new teams might be places that could what bolster a new super team. Imagine, imagine the Philadelphia whatevers having a new super team. Imagine Boston changing from Connecticut and becoming a new super team or being able to form a new super team real quick just because of the name. Imagine that.

Speaker 1:

I'm just saying, ladies and gentlemen, you got to peep these players' mindsets From the expansion draft. Maybe they want to revitalize their careers. There's a bevy of reasons why new teams can really work out. But again, though, I understand why people, I hear why people say the expansion draft isn't as good Because, again, going back to the history, we have lost some people, we have lost some teams along the way.

Speaker 1:

But, ladies and gentlemen, if we can't make a gamble now, especially with the WNBA trending upwards, I don't know when we can. There's way too much talent coming in. There's about 30, no, no, there's 36 women that get drafted every year. Not a lot of them actually play. So you mean to tell me we can't make more WNBA teams? Come on now. That's crazy Hell. The roster spots are already 12 right now. Can we bump it up to 15? That could be. That would be nice, just saying so again.

Speaker 1:

Ladies and gentlemen, I do hear you on the expansion draft, on the expansion maybe not going as well as you think because of the history. Gotta be a little more optimistic about that. But I mean, I hear it too, though. So, ladies and gentlemen, that does conclude the episode.

Speaker 1:

But I am curious what's your take on the WNBA expansion draft? I've talked positively, I've talked positively about it. Next time I'll probably talk more negatively just to balance it out. But I got to say, though, as a sports fan y'all see the jersey, y'all see the sweatshirt. Hey, bro, I like it, I genuinely do. But I'm curious what y'all thoughts are about the expansion overall. But like I said, ladies and gentlemen, that's all the time we have. So please make sure to one, continue to support the WNBA. We're going to need it because we're trying to get these expansion teams popping right. But two, also continue to support my page. So please make sure you like, subscribe, comment, tell anyone who's anyone about the show. My name is Trey. I'm the host of Get a Bucket. Hope you all are having a good one, take care.