Detroit Pistons Explore Bringing WNBA Back to Motor City

As the WNBA All-Star Game captivates fans with its excitement, the Detroit Pistons are exploring the possibility of rekindling professional women's basketball in the Motor City, potentially bringing back the legacy of the Detroit Shock.

What Happened to the Detroit Shock?

The Detroit Shock was one of the Women's National Basketball Association's (WNBA) original expansion teams, with their inaugural season in 1998. They were quite successful too, winning the championship in 2003, 2006, and 2008.

After 12 seasons in the WNBA, the Detroit Shock saw a change in ownership, leading to Palace Sports & Entertainment stepping back at the end of the 2009 season. They packed their bags for Tulsa, Oklahoma, under new leadership in October 2009. But that wasn't the end of the story; in 2016, they made another move and are now known as the Dallas Wings.

If the team makes a comeback, it's unclear if they would take back the name Detroit Shock.

Last year, Women's Basketball League (WBL) Founder, Ryan Reed, applied to purchase the 'Detroit Shock' trademark. According to the WBLShock Instagram, the WBL is a professional all-new league that will boast six teams from across the Midwest.

According to the founder of Grow the Game, Subria Whitaker, the trademark status for the Detroit Shock is still pending.

WNBA Heading to Detroit?

Now that we've got the name drama covered, how soon could a team land in the D?

Truthfully, it'd be a while. According to Crain's Detroit Business, the Pistons have simply been "in conversation" with the WNBA advocating for the league's return to the city.

“While nothing is imminent, the prospects of bringing a WNBA team back to Detroit is intriguing and we have interest should they open another round of expansion. We will continue to engage in conversation with the WNBA going forward.”

Pistons chief communication officer Kevin Grigg said.

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It's an exciting time for women's sports as they continue to grow in popularity. The 2025 WNBA season debut one new teams, the Golden State Valkyries and come 2026 the league will expand to 14 teams with the addition of the currently unnamed Toronto team.

The WNBA has been forthcoming about their hope to expand to 16 teams by 2028. Hopefully, Detroit is a serious contender in that mix. The league's commissioner has mentioned that they are considering Portland, Denver and Philadelphia.