"On October 5th, 2023, the WNBA and the Golden State Warriors announced that the Bay Area is getting an expansion team." --Rafi Ponet, 8th Grade
On October 5th, 2023, the WNBA and the Golden State Warriors announced that the Bay Area is getting an expansion team. The team was announced to play at the Warriors’ arena the Chase Center in San Francisco, and practice at the Warriors’ old practice facility in downtown Oakland. Fans were obviously very excited about this announcement. Along with fans, the players and staff of the Warriors were happy about the announcement.
“It's great timing given the level of interest in the sport here in the Bay and the level of play,” Head Coach of the Warriors, Steve Kerr said in an interview with Mercury News.
The Warriors players were interested in what the name of the team should be. “[The name of the team should be] something that resembles the characteristics of the Bay Area,” Klay Thompson said.
This expansion is a huge landmark of the WNBA ‘making it’ in a way. If you compare now to 2016, the average TV viewership for a regular season game has more than doubled more than the amount in 2016. This year's finals was the most watched WNBA finals in 20 years.
Not just the WNBA, but women’s basketball as a whole is at an all-time high. Last spring, the NCAA March Madness final racked up the most views of any women's college basketball game ever. All of these statistics have led to an expansion team for 2025 in the WNBA. Fans in the Bay Area are, as expected, ecstatic about the news.
“I am trying to get season tickets because I think it’ll be a really fun thing to do with friends and community,” said Jordan Karnes, Chair of Literary Arts, and a long time WNBA fan.
“The WNBA needs more teams. There are so many great women college basketball players who are very marketable and already have a following. However, because there are only 12 teams in the WNBA, a lot of those great college players never even make it to the WNBA. Furthermore, some of the players who do get drafted by the WNBA, get cut during the preseason and never make it to an active roster. There will be more players in the league now that the Bay Area is getting an expansion franchise,” said Jimmy Touzel, a teacher at OSA, and a huge women's basketball fan.
Even people who have never really followed or played basketball are interested in the news. “It’s cool we are going to have a team,” said Elias Yuasa, a 7th grader at OSA. “I’ll probably watch a little.”
“It’s nice to have a new Bay Area team,” said Kai Vejsada, an 8th grader at OSA.
All of them agreed this would be a positive move and would inspire the female youth to want to play basketball.
“I mean it was exciting for me as a kid to be like now we have a place to go now. It used to be like play for high school play for college… then maybe go play for Europe or something?” Karnes said.
“I think having teams of fame in your own country and city is very inspiring,” Karnes elaborated.
“I think they will definitely inspire young women to pursue basketball because professional athletes inspire young people to play sports. These athletes will be in the news and in the public eye.” Touzel said.
“There will be lots more female basketball players to look up to,” Vejsada stated.
As far as the name goes, fans are split.
“They definitely should not be called the Warriors,” Karnes stated. “No other WNBA teams are named after their NBA team affiliation.”
“I don’t see a reason why they shouldn’t be called the Warriors,” Vejsada said.
“I think it should be something cool like the Panthers. Or the fog,” Karnes suggested.
“I think it should be called the Golden State Pride,” said Touzel.
There has been no official naming of the team yet, but it will be the 'Golden State'... something.
Some other news regarding the expansion is that Portland, which was another city rumored to get a team, will not get a team for now. This means that the Bay area team will not have to draft against anyone else in an expansion draft. Also Toronto, which was also rumored to possibly get a team, will not receive one.
As women's basketball is growing, more and more cities will get teams and we could look back at this as the turning point to the WNBA’s success.
“It's great timing given the level of interest in the sport here in the Bay and the level of play,” Head Coach of the Warriors, Steve Kerr said in an interview with Mercury News.
The Warriors players were interested in what the name of the team should be. “[The name of the team should be] something that resembles the characteristics of the Bay Area,” Klay Thompson said.
This expansion is a huge landmark of the WNBA ‘making it’ in a way. If you compare now to 2016, the average TV viewership for a regular season game has more than doubled more than the amount in 2016. This year's finals was the most watched WNBA finals in 20 years.
Not just the WNBA, but women’s basketball as a whole is at an all-time high. Last spring, the NCAA March Madness final racked up the most views of any women's college basketball game ever. All of these statistics have led to an expansion team for 2025 in the WNBA. Fans in the Bay Area are, as expected, ecstatic about the news.
“I am trying to get season tickets because I think it’ll be a really fun thing to do with friends and community,” said Jordan Karnes, Chair of Literary Arts, and a long time WNBA fan.
“The WNBA needs more teams. There are so many great women college basketball players who are very marketable and already have a following. However, because there are only 12 teams in the WNBA, a lot of those great college players never even make it to the WNBA. Furthermore, some of the players who do get drafted by the WNBA, get cut during the preseason and never make it to an active roster. There will be more players in the league now that the Bay Area is getting an expansion franchise,” said Jimmy Touzel, a teacher at OSA, and a huge women's basketball fan.
Even people who have never really followed or played basketball are interested in the news. “It’s cool we are going to have a team,” said Elias Yuasa, a 7th grader at OSA. “I’ll probably watch a little.”
“It’s nice to have a new Bay Area team,” said Kai Vejsada, an 8th grader at OSA.
All of them agreed this would be a positive move and would inspire the female youth to want to play basketball.
“I mean it was exciting for me as a kid to be like now we have a place to go now. It used to be like play for high school play for college… then maybe go play for Europe or something?” Karnes said.
“I think having teams of fame in your own country and city is very inspiring,” Karnes elaborated.
“I think they will definitely inspire young women to pursue basketball because professional athletes inspire young people to play sports. These athletes will be in the news and in the public eye.” Touzel said.
“There will be lots more female basketball players to look up to,” Vejsada stated.
As far as the name goes, fans are split.
“They definitely should not be called the Warriors,” Karnes stated. “No other WNBA teams are named after their NBA team affiliation.”
“I don’t see a reason why they shouldn’t be called the Warriors,” Vejsada said.
“I think it should be something cool like the Panthers. Or the fog,” Karnes suggested.
“I think it should be called the Golden State Pride,” said Touzel.
There has been no official naming of the team yet, but it will be the 'Golden State'... something.
Some other news regarding the expansion is that Portland, which was another city rumored to get a team, will not get a team for now. This means that the Bay area team will not have to draft against anyone else in an expansion draft. Also Toronto, which was also rumored to possibly get a team, will not receive one.
As women's basketball is growing, more and more cities will get teams and we could look back at this as the turning point to the WNBA’s success.
