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Legendary Coach Reacts To Philadelphia's WNBA Announcement

Philadelphia native Dawn Staley reacts to her hometown getting a WNBA franchise.
Declan Harris|
Jun 29, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball head coach Dawn Staley (center right) and Golden State Valkyries forward Laeticia Amihere (center left) hug after the game against the Seattle Storm at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Jun 29, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball head coach Dawn Staley (center right) and Golden State Valkyries forward Laeticia Amihere (center left) hug after the game against the Seattle Storm at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

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Philadelphia 76ers

On Monday morning, it was announced that the WNBA would be expanding its reach to three new cities, including Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia. According to a post made by the league, the teams will be introduced in that order, spread out by a year each, starting with Cleveland in 2028.

The expansion will be the first for the league since the introduction of the Golden State Valkyries, who are in the midst of their first season. By the time Philadelphia enters the scene in 2030, it will become the 18th team in the league.

The inclusion of Philadelphia comes after their spot in the expansion was put in doubt in February, when it was reported that they weren’t in the pole position to land a new team.

The announcement of the WNBA to the City of Brotherly Love caught the eyes of many figures in the industry, including Philadelphia-native Dawn Staley, who sent out a post on social media regarding the matter.

"Y'all ready for the @PhilaWNBA [Philadelphia's WNBA Team]? The countdown clock has started," Staley posted on X.

If anyone related to Philadelphia should know about women's basketball, Staley would be a prime candidate given her career both as a player, which some of it was spent in the early years of the WNBA, as well as a coach at the collegiate level, having managed programs such as Temple University and her most recent stint with the University of South Carolina, among others. Under Staley's tutelage, the Gamecocks have been crowned national champions on three separate occasions.

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Declan Harris
DECLAN HARRIS

Declan Harris is a writer for FanNation's All76ers powered by Sports Illustrated Media Group. In addition to his role covering the Sixers, Declan also writes for CityXtra, covering Manchester City F.C. He is a 2023 Temple University Lew Klein School of Media and Communications graduate.

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