Patrick Mahomes, Brittany Mahomes
Getty
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (R) and wife Brittany Mahomes in New York City, on April 25, 2024.
Before the Kansas City Chiefs‘ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, quarterback Patrick Mahomes reiterated his passion about bringing a WNBA team to the area.
“You see how Kansas City has embraced all sports that have been in the city, especially women’s sports,” Mahomes told reporters on February 6. “I’ve seen it first hand with the Kansas City Current. I know if we were able to get a WNBA team to Kansas City, it would be packed every single night.
“That’s just the kind of atmosphere that we have in Kansas City. I’m hoping we can get that done and we can continue to push women’s sports forward.”
Mahomes and his wife, Brittany Mahomes, co-owners of the NWSL’s KC Current, along with owners Chris and Angie Long, met with the WNBA in October about bringing a new franchise to Kansas City.
However, they faced stiff competition to nab the 16th WNBA franchise, as multiple cities made bids. The Sports Business Journal reported in February, “The WNBA is preparing to award Cleveland its 16th franchise.
A source told the outlet at the time, “The WNBA has re-thought its original plan of adding just one team and could award one or two more franchises to bring its league total to 18 clubs. The presumed leaders for the second and third teams are Philadelphia, Houston, Nashville, Detroit and Miami.”
On Monday, June 18, the WNBA confirmed the Cleveland Rockers, the city’s team between 1997 and 2003, will officially return to to league in 2028.
The WNBA also announced two more cities that won bids, and Kansas City did not make the cut. Based on the timeline of expansion, a WNBA team won’t be coming to the area for quite some time.
Patrick & Brittany Mahomes’ Bid for a WNBA Team Got Beat Out By Detroit and Philadelphia
The Golden State Valkyries joined league this season as the 13th team. The WNBA previously announced new expansion teams in Toronto, Canada and Portland, Oregon, will join for the 2026 season.
The WNBA announced on Monday that in addition to Cleveland, they are adding an expansion team in Detroit by 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030. During the Detroit Shockers’ previous stint in the league (1998-2009), they won three championships. Philadelphia used to have an ABL team.
The league shared in a statement, “Each location was selected based on an analysis of market viability, committed long-term ownership groups, potential for significant local fan, corporate, media, and city and state support, arena and practice facilities, and community commitment to advancing the sport, among other factors.”
Each team paid a $250 million expansion fee and plan to invest further in building facilities.
Patrick & Brittany Mahomes’ Daughter Inspired the Push to Bring Kansas City a WNBA Team
Patrick Mahomes, Brittany Mahomes
GettyChiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes with his son, Bronze, wife, Brittany, and daughter Sterling, at Arrowhead Stadium on November 10, 2024.
Mahomes and Brittany share three children, Sterling Skye, 4, Patrick “Bronze” Lavon, 2, and Golden Raye, 5 months. Speaking to reporters on October 31, Mahomes said his eldest daughter inspired him to bring another professional women’s team to Kansas City.
“I think, first, it’s just to showcase to my daughter, who I believe loves sports so far because everything we do, she wants to hit the baseball off the tee, she wants to play soccer,” Mahomes said. “I want to show that she can follow her dreams and make an impact in this world in whatever that dream is.”
“I’ve met players and women from other sports that I’ve kind of been around, including my wife — and show that they didn’t get some of the same things that I got coming up as far as the resources and the facilities and stuff like that. So, I want to give them those same resources, those same facilities.”