WNBA 30th anniversary has All-Stars eyeing the past and the South
WNBA All-Stars in Chicago reflected on childhood memories, league legends and where players want expansion to go next.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
The WNBA 30th anniversary celebration rolled through All-Star Weekend in Chicago with a heavy dose of history, as current stars told CBS Sports how the league first came into view for them and where they want it to grow next.
CBS Sports reported that league icons were woven throughout the weekend. Teresa Weatherspoon and Cynthia Cooper served as general managers for the All-Star teams, while Elena Delle Donne, Lauren Jackson, Deanna Nolan and Rebekkah Brunson appeared in the Shooting Stars competition. Lisa Leslie and Rebecca Lobo were among the figures recognized on the court before the All-Star Game, and Tamecka Dixon coached at Basketball Without Borders.
Cooper said before the All-Star Game that her work in women’s basketball had been aimed at growing the sport to the point the WNBA has reached after 30 years. She also praised the league and its players for who they are on and off the floor, according to CBS Sports.
What is the WNBA 30th anniversary celebration?
The WNBA is marking 30 years since the league’s first game, which CBS Sports noted was played on June 21, 1997. The anniversary has become a season-long look back at the players who built the league and the new generation that grew up with it as a visible pro path.
That path was not equally visible for everyone. Jessica Shepard told CBS Sports the league was not often on television when she was young, while Jonquel Jones said she stumbled across a Detroit Shock game on TV at her grandmother’s house and realized there was a women’s pro league she could chase.
The Shock, who later relocated through Tulsa to Dallas, came up again and again. CBS Sports noted the franchise won three titles from 2003 to 2008. Bridget Carleton said going to a Shock game as a child helped her understand that professional basketball in the United States was possible for her, while Natasha Howard said watching Detroit in middle school made her think she could one day be on that court.
Other All-Stars tied their first memories to local teams and favorite players. Paige Bueckers recalled being on the floor during halftime at a Minnesota Lynx game. Aliyah Boston remembered driving from Massachusetts to a Connecticut Sun game. Jackie Young said she sat courtside at an Indiana Fever game to watch Candace Parker, and Allisha Gray said she saw Maya Moore when the Minnesota Lynx visited Atlanta.
The players also named the legends they wish they could have shared a locker room with. Howard pointed to Lisa Leslie. Young and Jones cited Tamika Catchings. Gray and Bueckers mentioned Maya Moore. Boston recalled the surreal feeling of lining up near Candace Parker as a rookie, while Carleton praised Brunson, her former coach, and Shepard singled out Ticha Penicheiro’s passing.
Where should the WNBA expand next?
Several All-Stars told CBS Sports they want more teams in the South. Howard said Atlanta has supported its team well and that another Southern market would give more fans a club to claim.
The league currently has 15 teams, with CBS Sports grouping most of them across the West Coast, East Coast and Midwest. The report said Connecticut is set to move to Houston next season, with expansion teams planned for Cleveland in 2028, Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030.
Players still pushed for the Southeast and Florida. Gray mentioned Columbia, South Carolina, where she played at the University of South Carolina. Boston named Charlotte, where South Carolina coach Dawn Staley once played for the Charlotte Sting. Kiki Iriafen and Bueckers both backed Miami or Florida after their experiences with Unrivaled, and Jones said a Florida team would make it easier for family from the Bahamas to see WNBA games in person.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.