On June 30, the WNBA officially announced that the Motor City is getting a franchise once again, and two of Michigan’s most iconic hoop legends, Grant Hill and Chris Webber, are part of the ownership dream team making it happen.
The two NBA Hall of Famers, one a Pistons legend, the other a Fab Five icon, are now minority owners of Detroit’s newly announced WNBA squad, which is set to hit the court in 2029.
And they’re not doing it alone.
The ownership group reads like a who’s who of Detroit power players. Sheila Ford Hamp, chair of the Detroit Lions, is at the helm alongside her husband Steve Hamp. They’re joined by General Motors CEO Mary Barra and her husband Tony; Lions quarterback Jared Goff and his wife Christen; Arn and Nancy Tellem; and Tom Gores, owner of the Pistons, who will serve as the controlling owner of the new franchise.
“This is a huge win for Detroit and the WNBA,” Gores said in a statement. “Detroit played a key role in the league’s early growth, and we’re proud to reignite that legacy.”
That legacy runs deep. Detroit was once home to the Detroit Shock, a WNBA team that brought home three championships between 1998 and 2009 before relocating to Tulsa (now the Dallas Wings). The Shock were known for their gritty play, passionate fans, and a proud run that made Detroit a women’s basketball hotbed.
The new WNBA franchise is part of a larger league expansion that includes new teams in Cleveland and Philadelphia, a move that signals major growth for women’s sports and even bigger investment in cities with rich basketball history.
For Hill and Webber, this is more than just a business move; it’s a full-circle moment. Hill was the face of the Pistons during the ‘90s, while Webber rose to fame just down the road at the University of Michigan, becoming part of one of the most legendary college basketball teams of all time.
With this new chapter, the two legends are now helping shape the future of the game, putting resources and their reputations behind women’s basketball in a city that lives and breathes hoops.
And it’s not just the WNBA that’s making waves in Detroit. Earlier this year, the BIG3 League announced the city’s newest team, the Detroit Amplifiers, coached by NBA great George “The Iceman” Gervin. That team made its debut in June, with their first home game set for July 20 at Little Caesars Arena.
Between BIG3 and now the return of the WNBA, Detroit is quickly becoming one of the hottest destinations for pro hoops — men’s and women’s.
