Caitlin Clark wants the WNBA to get even bigger.
The 22-year-old was a featured guest at the annual Women’s Sports Awards where she backed the decision to expand the league into Kansas City.
credit: @tmobilecenterCaitlin Clark did a Q&A at the Women’s Sports Awards[/caption]
Clark, who is a lifelong Chiefs fan, spoke about how her and family would drive from their home in West Des Moines Iowa to Kansas to see the NFL team play, something she said made her love the city even more.
When asked about bringing a WNBA team to the area, the basketball phenom referenced the popularity of the NWSL’s Kansas City Current.
Current’s CPKC Stadium was built specifically for them, a first in women’s soccer history, with the team regularly enjoying sell-outs at home games and recently hosting the NWSL final in November.
“Kansas City would be a good spot for it, obviously, it’s a great sports town that supports women’s sports,” Clark said on the WNBA expansion.
“The way women’s sports and women’s basketball has taken off is truly incredible. This is just the beginning. It’s showing the world, not even just our country, how great it is and how fun it is to watch women’s athletics.
“I, personally, have always been a fan.”
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is currently preparing for Super Bowl LIX on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, has previously expressed his desire to back any women’s basketball team in the city.
“We want to get basketball to Kansas City,” the 29-year-old said in November.
“The WNBA and the success that they’ve had this last season and these last few seasons, it’s kind of a no-brainer to try to get a WNBA team in Kansas City.”
Mahomes’ comments came amid a wave of growth for the WNBA.
The league is looking to expand to 16 teams by 2028, an increase from 12 in the 2024 season.
Its 13th team, the Golden State Valkyries will join this year, while the 14th and 15th teams in Toronto and Portland will join in 2026.
However, Mahomes will be acutely aware of the fact the cost of a WNBA team continues to rise. The Valkyries and Toronto’s ownership group paid $50 million this year while the Portland group paid $125 million.
However, the QB has already said he wants a similar type of ownership to that of the NWSL Kansas City Current, which he is a minority investor in.
“They’re going into the playoffs now and you see the support that they have,” he said.
“So let’s try to get a WNBA team in here as well and kind of that same-type ownership group.”
Kansas will have a fight to get the 16th WNBA team as commissioner Cathy Engelbert suggested there are more than a dozen teams who are interested.
The WNBA returns on May 16 and it will look to have another record-breaking season after enjoying unprecedented success in 2024.