Tom Gores, owner of the Detroit Pistons, is spearheading an effort to bring a WNBA team back to Detroit. His bid aims to revive the league’s presence in the city, with Gores emphasizing the opportunity to inject investment and economic activity into Detroit. He highlighted the city’s passionate sports culture, pointing to the past success of the Detroit Shock, which won three championships between 2003 and 2008. Gores believes Detroit is uniquely positioned to embrace a new WNBA team as a valuable community asset.
The Detroit Shock, which played in the WNBA from 1998 to 2009, was one of the league’s most successful franchises, ranking first in attendance for three consecutive years. However, the team relocated to Tulsa and is now known as the Dallas Wings. Gores’ bid to bring a new team to Detroit is backed by a powerful coalition of investors and influencers from various industries, all of whom are dedicated to the project’s success.
Among those supporting the effort are former Pistons player Grant Hill and his wife Tamia Hill, Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp and her husband Steve Hamp, Lions quarterback Jared Goff and his wife Christen Goff, GM CEO Mary Barra and her husband Tony Barra, Pistons vice chairman Arn Tellem and his wife Nancy Tellem, and former University of Michigan star Chris Webber. Reports indicate that the new Detroit franchise may bear the name “Detroit Shock,” as the WNBA has filed a trademark application for it.
