Dallas might have a new professional sports team.
Several reports suggest that the Dallas City Council will likely vote this week to move the WNBA’s Dallas Wings from Arlington to Downtown Dallas.
Talks about moving the team started after an agenda item was found. citing The discovery of an agenda item mentioning a “professional sports team” for a city council meeting sparked rumors about the Wings moving. Given the WNBA season timeline, it seemed likely that the Wings were the team in question. Dallas Wings president and CEO Greg Bibb later confirmed the discussions.
Bibb released a statement explaining ongoing discussions with Mayor Johnson and Dallas officials about the city’s plans to renovate Memorial Auditorium. readBibb mentioned that there are many details still to work out, including approval from the Dallas City Council and the WNBA’s Board of Governors. However, he expressed optimism about the potential of relocating to downtown Dallas.
The plan would involve moving the team to Dallas Memorial Auditorium, which is part of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Center undergoing renovations. The Wings would have a 15-year lease agreement and receive $19 million in incentives for the move, to be distributed over three years, as reported by The Dallas Morning News. paid The proposed incentives for the relocation would total $19 million over three years, according to The Dallas Morning News.
If the team moves, it won't happen until after the 2025 WNBA season or later.
Bibb's statement also highlighted the increased attention on women's basketball and the rising popularity of both the WNBA and the Wings.
The Wings have been playing at the College Park Center on the UT-Arlington campus since their relocation from Tulsa to DFW in 2016. played Their current arena holds about 7,000 fans, while Memorial Auditorium can accommodate nearly 10,000.
The vote is expected to take place during a city council meeting on Wednesday.
