Kathy Engelbert addresses Philly as a marketer – NBC4 Washington

WNBA commissioner talks about possible expansion of Philly that originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

The WNBA celebrated its 2022 All-Star Game in Chicago over the weekend, and with a month remaining in the league’s 26th season, some fans are already looking forward to the biggest off-season story: the expansion.

The league hasn’t added a new squad since 2008 when the Atlanta Dream joined, but commissioner Kathy Engelbert told The Athletic earlier this summer that the league hopes to identify a city or two for expansion sometime before the end of the year. Engelbert said the two teams could play by 2024.

Philadelphia basketball fans have been calling for their own in the league for some time now, so it’s no surprise that Engelbert answered a question about Philly as a potential local during her media availability for the All-Star Game.

Engelbert, who grew up across the Delaware River in Collingswood and played college basketball at Lehigh University, explained She knows a thing or two about Philly and has recognized the potential in the city as a WNBA market:

“People who don’t know this, I’m from the Philadelphia area. My dad was actually recruited into the NBA in 1957 by the Detroit Pistons after playing at St. Joe’s University for Naismith Hall of Famer Jack Ramsey, so I have–I know Philly and I know It’s a great basketball city.You obviously have Villanova, who has won two national championships over the past two years.

“So, definitely look at Philly’s potential for the market. We have to assess if, is it a good market for women’s basketball? Obviously we have female players, and Dawn Staley who coaches South Carolina is from Philly, Natasha Cloud and others.

“Philly is definitely on the list. Again, I said we have 100 cities on the list, so I could name probably 15 where we think we’ve narrowed the list down to, and Philly is on that list.”

Willy be on that list? You love to see it.

The push for a team at Philly has been going on for some time now. In March of last year, WNBA star from Delaware County and current WNBA star Natasha Cloud—whose name Engelbert has been verified—detailed some effort:

“It’s not necessarily a secret – that’s what I was told – we’re trying to get a Philly team. He’s been in the business for a year and a half. He put a little bit of pressure, not just on the city, but on the [WNBA], very. Our thing – in order to get ahead, our role must expand. We should have more than 144 jobs. […] Listen, it’s in the works. I’m trying to get a team back to Philly.”

Honestly, if the league didn’t pick Philadelphia, it would feel like a huge mistake — both for the culture and for the bottom line.

As of October 2019, Philadelphia was the fourth largest television market in the country, according to Nielsen estimates. The three that are ahead of Philadelphia — New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago — have WNBA teams. Six of the 10 largest markets, and 10 of the 15 largest, according to Nielsen estimates, have WNBA teams.

Philly is the right choice in terms of being a legendary basketball city with distinct women’s basketball personalities, but it’s also the right choice to help continue to push the league in a positive direction in terms of dollars and eyeballs.

There are other cities that make sense, too. San Francisco in particular feels like a smart choice as the Bay Area has been fascinated by the last decade of Warriors craziness. Toronto would be a smart addition, and an opportunity to attract Canadian fans to the United States only for now.

So Philly in the WNBA isn’t a done deal… but it does look very possible. Looks like we’ll find out soon enough.