Before the team begins play in 2029, there are plans to build a publicly accessible sports center that 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 idea is to promote youth sports while breaking down barriers to access,” Pistons Vice Chairman Arn Tellem told an audience of Michigan politicians and business leaders in late May. “In Detroit, there is a lack of quality facilities for schools. The goal is to break down barriers to access, and to give every child in Detroit the opportunity to play and compete, no matter the zip code.”

It’s a major bullet point of a comprehensive facilities strategy that will utilize a combination of new and current facilities to service the team, its players and the community. Games will be played at Little Caesars Arena, and the youth sports development will also be home to a new dedicated WNBA practice facility and team headquarters for around-the-clock training and amenities for players and coaches.

“This is a huge win for Detroit and the WNBA,” Tom Gores said in a release when the news was announced. “Today marks the long-hoped-for return of the WNBA to a city with deep basketball roots and a championship tradition. 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.”

Detroit rises to the top

After WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced last year a goal to expand the WNBA to 16 teams by 2028, there was robust interest from markets throughout the country. Fueled by the league’s rapid growth and momentum, the decision was made to expand beyond the initial 16-team target.

According to Tellem, Detroit’s journey began before that decision. The WNBA was part of the discussion years ago when he was first lured to the Pistons by Gores in 2015.

In those initial discussions, the focus was on exploring the eventual decision to return the franchise back to downtown Detroit after several decades in northern Detroit suburbs. The Pistons began playing at LCA in 2017.

Then the focus was constructing the $90 million Henry Ford-Pistons Performance Center to house the franchise in the New Center neighborhood of Detroit. The building opened in 2019.

But Tellem said the WNBA was just temporarily on the backburner.

“(Tom) had a whole vision about we would win basketball games, but we had to look at ways to make the greatest impact we could in the community, using the Pistons as a platform, a community asset.

“We talked about the possibility of the WNBA down the road once we got going. When the WNBA announced their intent to look to expand, I went back to Tom, and he said: ‘Absolutely, let’s go for it.’”

Fueled by an influx of young and marketable stars, interest in the WNBA is growing. All WNBA franchises saw double-digit attendance growth in 2024. Starting in 2026, the league will enter into an 11-year media rights deal with multiple partners that’s worth approximately $200 million annually. And team valuations are rising.

Along with the Detroit bid, the league awarded franchises to Clevland and Philadelphia. Cleveland will be the first team to enter the league, joining in 2028. Detroit will begin playing in 2029, and Philadelphia in 2030. By then, the league will have a record 18 teams.

The day was also a huge win for fans of the Detroit Shock, who were once one of the league’s most successful franchises before moving to Tulsa in 2010. From 1998 to 2009, the Shock won three titles, was in the top five in attendance for five straight seasons and No. 1 in attendance for three straight seasons and set a single-game attendance record of 22,076 fans at Game 3 of the 2003 WNBA Finals.

One of the stars of those teams, Swin Cash, is proud of the legacy, but is excited for the future.

“This investment group is coming in saying: “Not only are we invested in women for the WNBA, we’re invested in the community. We’re invested in the youth,” Cash said. “That’s what the WNBA was built on, that collaborative mindset. That’s why I’m so happy … The vision isn’t just about investment in women.

“This is good business.”