The WNBA’s Dallas Wings are one step closer to relocating from Arlington to Downtown Dallas after the Dallas City Council unanimously approved the move on Wednesday.
The team will probably move downtown on a 15-year lease beginning starting in 2026, pending approval from the league’s Board of Governors. If approved, it will hold its home games at the Dallas Memorial Auditorium at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Center.
“This proposed deal comes at a time when interest in women’s sports, the WNBA, and the Wings is at record levels, bringing a valuable community asset to a historic city venue,” said Greg Bibb, President and CEO of the Dallas Wings, in a press release. “The Wings saw record attendance in 2023, and virtually every business metric record has been, or will soon be, broken during the 2024 season. We have sold out of Season Ticket Memberships while experiencing unprecedented ticket sales growth year to date.”
The move is a result of the work of the city council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Professional Sports Recruitment and Retention, which Mayor Eric Johnson created in 2022.
“Dallas is currently the place to be –- for residents, for businesses, and for professional sports teams and their fans,” added Mayor Johnson in a press release. “This deal has been a top priority for us because we know the Dallas Wings will thrive in the city they represent. We will be excited to welcome the Wings to the heart of our city — and we are even more excited to see this franchise anchor our new convention center district that will transform downtown Dallas for decades to come.”
The Kay Bailey Hutchinson Center and Dallas Memorial Auditorium will be renovated before the move, as part of the plans to expand the Convention Center District.
“Subject to approval by the @WNBA Board of Governors, the @DallasWings plan to relocate to a larger arena in Downtown Dallas in 2026,” said council member Chad West wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, after the vote. “I was proud to vote yes to make the Wings a cornerstone in our decade-long redevelopment of the Convention Center District.”
The Wings will continue to play at UT-Arlington’s College Park Center for the next two years before the expected move. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the move will significantly increase seating capacity.
Dallas Memorial Auditorium was also the former home of the Dallas Chaparrals of the American Basketball Association (ABA), who later became the San Antonio Spurs in the 1970s.
