Full-Circle Moment: Grant Hill and Chris Webber Lead Effort to Bring WNBA Back to Detroit

It’s a true full-circle moment for two of Detroit’s basketball legends.

Former NBA All-Stars Grant Hill and Chris Webber have joined an ownership group led by Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores in a powerful bid to bring a WNBA franchise back to the Motor City, according to AfroTech. The move represents both a revival of Detroit’s rich basketball history and a major step in the continued growth of women’s professional sports.

Detroit once boasted one of the most dominant teams in WNBA history — the Detroit Shock. Founded in 1998, the team captured three league championships (in 2003, 2006, and 2008) and became a defining force in women’s basketball under head coach Bill Laimbeer. In 2009, however, the Shock relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma, before eventually moving to Arlington, Texas, where it now competes as the Dallas Wings (ESPN).

Now, with women’s sports gaining record-breaking viewership and sponsorship support, Detroit is determined to reclaim its place among WNBA cities.

“This is an exciting opportunity to welcome the WNBA back to Detroit and bring additional investment and economic activity into the city,” Gores said in a statement (The Detroit News). “For the WNBA, this is home, and our bid represents an unprecedented opportunity for the league to come full circle and effect a long-hoped-for Detroit homecoming. No city is more prepared to embrace the team as a community asset that drives unity and common ground.”

For Hill and Webber, the mission goes beyond sports — it’s about legacy and community. Both men played for the Detroit Pistons at different points in their careers and developed deep roots in the region. Hill, a seven-time NBA All-Star and now a part-owner of the Atlanta Hawks, has long advocated for increased investment in women’s basketball. Webber, a Detroit native and former University of Michigan “Fab Five” standout, has also focused his post-NBA career on philanthropy and business ventures that empower his hometown.

“Detroit basketball is about heart, hard work, and history,” Webber told The Athletic. “To bring the WNBA back where it belongs means giving the next generation — especially young girls — the chance to see themselves in the game.”

The ownership group behind the Detroit bid reads like a who’s who of Michigan leadership and sports excellence. In addition to Gores, Hill, and Webber, investors include Sheila Ford Hamp, principal owner and chair of the Detroit Lions, and her husband Steve Hamp, chairman of the Michigan Education Excellence Foundation and New Economy Initiative. General Motors CEO Mary Barra and her husband Tony have also signed on, as have Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff and his wife, Christen Harper, reflecting a wide-reaching commitment to elevating women’s sports (Forbes).

The initiative has received enthusiastic backing from Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who called it a landmark opportunity for the state.

“As a lifelong fan, I can tell you that Michiganders are fired up,” Whitmer said in a press statement. “Our passion for our teams and players is unmatched, our commitment to our communities remains unwavering, and our vision for women’s sports is crystal clear. My administration stands ready to support this franchise’s success” (The Detroit Free Press).

The push for a WNBA franchise in Detroit aligns with the league’s ongoing expansion strategy, which Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has said will grow the league from 12 to 16 teams by 2028 (ESPN). After the recent announcements of new teams in Golden State (set to debut in 2025) and Toronto, the next wave of expansion is expected to target historically strong basketball markets — and Detroit is at the top of that list.

Momentum from the NBA community is also helping fuel the movement. In addition to Hill and Webber’s efforts, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum recently joined an ownership group seeking to bring a WNBA team to St. Louis (CBS Sports). The growing number of NBA players investing in the women’s league reflects a broader recognition that women’s sports are both a moral and financial win.

Detroit, a city synonymous with resilience and reinvention, seems poised for a WNBA comeback. With deep-pocketed investors, political support, and passionate fans, the timing couldn’t be better.

As Hill told ESPN, “The WNBA deserves cities that understand basketball and community. Detroit checks every box — and then some.”

For the Motor City, this isn’t just about sports. It’s about coming home — and rewriting a legacy that started more than two decades ago with the Detroit Shock’s roar.