Open Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- The WNBA is expanding to 18 teams over the next five years, with Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia all set to join the league by 2030. Cleveland will begin play in 2028, Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia the season after, assuming it gets approval from the NBA and WNBA board of governors. "The demand for women's basketball has never been higher, and we are thrilled to welcome Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia to the WNBA family," WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. Both Cleveland and Detroit had WNBA teams in the past, and Philadelphia was the home for an ABL team. The Detroit and Cleveland teams will play at the NBA arenas that currently exist, while Philadelphia is planning on a new building that will be completed hopefully by 2030.