Dave Portnoy credits Caitlin Clark for WNBA expansion as three teams confirmed
Dave Portnoy made it clear who he believes is responsible for the WNBA's most recent wave of expansion, taking to social media to thank Caitlin Clark.
Dave Portnoy made his thoughts clear on the WNBA's latest expansion, making sure to thank Caitlin Clark for her part.
The Barstool boss has been a staunch supporter of the Indiana Fever star, lashing back at Stephen A. Smith for his comments on Clark. Portnoy also slammed FOX Sports' Joy Taylor after she claimed that Angel Reese receives more criticism from certain groups of people because she is Black.
He also claimed WNBA legend DeWanna Bonner was "beyond useless" after the team waived the two-time champion. Now, with the league expanding to 18 by 2030, Portnoy made it clear who he believes is the reason for the WNBA's sudden expansion in the coming years.
- Donald Trump had one-word answer to Danica Patrick question on Air Force One
- Coco Gauff breaks silence on Aryna Sabalenka apology after 'things went too far'
"Thank you CC!!" he posted on X. His three-word post comes after the league announced that Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia are the next cities to receive an expansion team in 2028, 2029 and 2030, respectively.
As it stands, the WNBA already has 13 teams, with the Golden State Valkyries playing their first season this year, sharing the same arena as the Golden State Warriors. In the 2026 season, the Toronto Tempo and a yet-to-be-named Portland team will also make their debuts.
It is clear that women's basketball is growing throughout the country, as evidenced by the fans' support of the Valkyries in their inaugural season. Golden State has sold out all 10 games it's played at Chase Center this season, according to the team's X post.
One of the reasons why the WNBA elected to continue expanding in seemingly such a short amount of time was to capitalize on the popularity Clark, Reese and other stars have brought to the league. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said as much in a statement released announcing the next wave of teams.
"The demand for women's basketball has never been higher, and we are thrilled to welcome Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia to the WNBA family," her statement began. "This historic expansion is a powerful reflection of our league's extraordinary momentum, the depth of talent across the game, and the surging demand for investment in women's professional basketball.
"I am deeply grateful for our new owners and ownership groups — Dan Gilbert in Cleveland, Tom Gores in Detroit, and Josh Harris, David Blitzer, David Adelman, and Brian Roberts in Philadelphia — for their belief in the WNBA's future and their commitment to building thriving teams that will energize and inspire their communities.
DON'T MISS
"We are excited for what these cities will bring to the league - and are confident that these new teams will reshape the landscape of women's basketball."
It remains to be seen what the Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia teams will be named. However, it is evident that the league has seen a massive increase in fans and fan engagement in just the last three seasons.
In 2023, Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson was the league's top vote-getter for the WNBA All-Star Game with 95,860 total votes. The last two seasons have seen an incredible fan turnout, with Clark getting 700,735 and 1,293,526 votes in 2024 and 2025, respectively, showing just how much the league's popularity has exploded in just two years.
