WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert expects to add another expansion team soon

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert joked Sunday she'll have to get new shoes now that the league has added one expansion team, with another most likely on the way soon.

Engelbert has a pair of high heels with all of the WNBA team logos on them. The shoes will become a collectors' item in 2025 when the expansion team owned by the Golden State Warriors starts playing. Engelbert expects to add another franchise to give the league 14 teams that year.

“The goal is to add a second one, or 14th team, by 2025,” Engelbert said before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. “Not more for before '25 but obviously longer term. I've said my goal is to get this league you know additional teams and additional cities that we think would be great. We have a lot of cities interested, which is why we didn't announce the 14th team yet.”

Engelbert mentioned a few cities including Denver; Philadelphia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; and Portland, Oregon, which is considered a front-runner. Portland had a WNBA team from 2000-02, playing its games at the Rose Garden before the franchise folded. There has been a strong women’s basketball fan base in the state over the past few seasons with the success of Oregon and Oregon State on the college level.