Jared Goff and Sheila Ford Hamp Join Effort to Bring WNBA Back to Detroit
Pistons owner Tom Gores is enlisting top-tier support in his campaign to reintroduce the WNBA to Detroit.
On Friday, it was revealed that Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores has submitted a proposal to bring a WNBA team back to the city.
“This is a thrilling opportunity to bring the WNBA back to Detroit and drive more investment and economic growth,” Gores said in a statement. “Detroit is home to the WNBA, and our bid offers an extraordinary chance for the league to return and fulfill a long-awaited homecoming. No other city is better positioned to welcome the team as a unifying community asset.”
“Detroit is a city that loves its sports, with a passionate fanbase that shows up for its teams. At a pivotal moment in the WNBA’s evolution, Detroit supported the home team more than any other city. We are here to reignite that legacy.”
The Detroit Shock played in the WNBA from 1998 to 2009, capturing three championships (2003, 2006, and 2008) under former Piston Bill Laimbeer’s coaching. The Shock topped league attendance for three consecutive seasons, setting a single-game record of 22,076 spectators during Game 3 of the 2003 WNBA Finals. The franchise relocated to Tulsa and is now known as the Dallas Wings.
Sheila Ford Hamp and the Goffs Join Bid to Bring WNBA Back to Detroit
In his statement, Gores emphasized the “power of partnership” and how his ownership group is strengthened by “numerous influential leaders who bring their investment and expertise.”
Gores’ group includes “highly successful men and women from global sports, business, entertainment, media, and finance,” and is broadly described as an “impressive group of sports, entertainment, media, and business leaders.”
Among the prominent figures involved in the effort to return the WNBA to Detroit are:
• Former Pistons star Grant Hill and his wife Tamia Hill
• Lions principal owner Sheila Ford Hamp and her husband Steve Hamp
• Lions QB Jared Goff and his wife Christen Goff
• General Motors Chair/CEO Mary Barra and her husband Tony Barra
• Pistons vice chairman Arn Tellem and his wife Nancy Tellem
• Former University of Michigan star and Detroit native Chris Webber
Regarding the potential new WNBA team’s name, CNBC has reported that the league has filed a trademark application for “Detroit Shock.”
