Platinum Equity Founder Tom Gores Recognized for Bringing WNBA Back to Detroit

DETROIT – Crain’s Detroit Business named Platinum Equity Founder Tom Gores and Detroit Pistons Vice Chairman Arn Tellem among its top 2025 newsmakers for their efforts in spearheading the successful bid that will return professional women’s basketball to the city.

The publication recognized Gores and Tellem – along with Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell and other top newsmakers – at its recent Newsmakers of the Year luncheon at the new Department at Hudson’s building in downtown Detroit where Tellem told the business community the WNBA is a “huge win for the city.”

“Sports has played such a big role in Detroit’s rebirth,” Tellem said. “This is a sports town, it’s a sports-crazy town. The fans love their teams and bringing a WNBA team here is a huge win for the city.

“It’s great for women’s sports, it’s great for our community and means more jobs, more events to serve our hotels, our restaurants.”

The investment group is led by Gores, his wife, Holly, and a group of diverse and accomplished leaders from the worlds of sports, entertainment, media and finance with Detroit ties. Tellem represented the group in the bid process with the NBA. Detroit’s ownership group reportedly paid a $250 million expansion fee.

The news (announced last summer) marks the return of the WNBA to one of its most successful markets historically with the previous Detroit franchise winning three titles during a 12-season period from 1998 to 2009.

“Today marks the long-hoped-for return of the WNBA to a city with deep basketball roots and a championship tradition,” Gores said at the time. “Detroit played a key role in the league’s early growth, and we’re proud to reignite that legacy as the WNBA ascends to new heights. Our plans will bring new energy, investment and infrastructure to our city and the WNBA, and additional resources to our community.”

Beyond the expected benefits of the city, the news also represents an investment in Detroit youth.

Before the team begins play in 2029, the city has OK’d key approvals for the franchise’s plans to build a team headquarters and publicly accessible sports center on a 42-acre site that was last occupied by a Uniroyal tire factory that shut down in 1980. The sports center will support the formation and creation of a youth development academy.

The vision is to build a community destination that will service the new franchise and include public-facing youth basketball courts, volleyball courts and multi-purpose fields for soccer, football and lacrosse. The development will come complete with spectator seating.

“The most important and really the lasting legacy will be our commitment to the city of Detroit and making a real impact here,” Tellem said. “It starts with serving the youth and giving them the chance to reach their potential and have fulfilling lives. That’s our daily commitment. That’s our purpose and our vision, and the WNBA team is just a real extension of that. We’re going to build a great practice facility on the riverfront at the old Uniroyal site.

“Our goal is to have a whole sports campus that’s going to serve the city and the youth of Detroit as well. That’s really going to be a terrific project.”

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027. The team will play its games at Little Caesars Arena.