It’s a full-circle moment for the former NBA stars!
Basketball legends Grant Hill and Chris Webber have joined an ownership group led by Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores in a bid to bring a WNBA team back to the Motor City, AfroTech reports. Detroit previously had a powerhouse WNBA team, the Detroit Shock, which dominated the league with three championships between 1998 and 2009 before relocating to Tulsa, OK, and later Arlington, TX, where it now plays as the Dallas Wings since 2015. However, with the future of women’s sports on the rise and the expansion of the WNBA, many are staking their claim on bringing teams back to various cities.
“This is an exciting opportunity to welcome the WNBA back to Detroit and bring additional investment and economic activity into the city,” Gores said in a statement. “For the WNBA, this is home, and our bid represents an unprecedented opportunity for the league to come full circle and effect a long-hoped-for Detroit homecoming. No city is more prepared to embrace the team as a community asset that drives unity and common ground.”
For Hill and Webber, this initiative is deeply personal. Both played for the Detroit Pistons at different points in their professional careers, and their involvement in the effort to revive the city’s WNBA presence speaks volumes about their dedication to the sport and the community that once cheered them on.
The ownership group boasts an impressive lineup of investors, including Sheila Ford Hamp, principal owner and chair of the Detroit Lions, and her husband Steve Hamp, chairman of the Michigan Education Excellence Foundation and New Economy Initiative. Other high-profile supporters include General Motors Co. CEO Mary Barra and her husband, Tony, along with Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff and his wife, Christen.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has thrown her full support behind the effort, bringing both enthusiasm and personal connection to the project.
“As a lifelong fan … Michiganders are fired up. Our passion for our teams and players is unmatched, our commitment to our communities remains unwavering, and our vision for women’s sports is crystal clear. My administration stands ready to support this franchise’s success,” declared Governor Whitmer.
The push for a WNBA franchise in Detroit comes at a pivotal moment. The league has been actively expanding, with plans to grow to 16 teams by 2028. With the momentum of major names, community backing, and a rich basketball legacy, Detroit is primed to reclaim its spot in the WNBA family. Webber and Hill now join a litany of NBA stars looking to support the WNBA momentum. Celtics star Jayson Tatum also recently joined an ownership group to expand the WNBA to St. Louis.
What an exciting time for women’s sports!
Cover photo: Grant Hill and Chris Webber Join Ownership Group to Bring WNBA Team Back to Detroit/Photo credit: Paras Griffin/Getty Images