The new Riverfront Open Space at the National Western Center. June 9, 2023.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
This week, Mayor Mike Johnston celebrated the Broncos’ plan to stay in Denver, but he’s not done trying to land sports deals yet. He told Denverite he still wants to bring a professional women’s basketball team to town.
“That is on my list,” he said in an interview on Tuesday. “Absolutely.”
The city was reportedly one of several cities bidding for a WNBA expansion team earlier this year. The league instead chose Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia. It’s not clear when or whether another expansion might happen.
Still, Johnston hopes Denver could land a future team, and he has some ideas for a venue.
Investors had considered building a new arena – and Burnham Yard was one of the sites on the list. But now the Broncos are set to build on the old rail yard in southwest Denver.
On the north side of town, the city still has an obligation from a previous bond package to build a new coliseum at the National Western Center. Johnston spoke with the WNBA about using the planned facility for a Denver team, but it didn’t work out.
But there also are plans to build an indoor rodeo arena at the National Western Center, and Johnston thinks the WNBA could work there, too.
“The Stock Show plan is not done,” Johnston said. “The neighborhood plan, it has another year to go. At some point, we’re gonna have to solve the new rodeo arena for the Stock Show.”
Johnston, who is often seen at Denver sports games, has pushed heavily for sports deals since he took office, helping to land a National Women’s Soccer League team and plans for a new Broncos stadium.
It’s unclear whether Denver still has a shot at obtaining a WNBA team, or which investors would back such a plan. The latest franchises paid $250 million each to join the league, and it will take until 2030 for all the approved expansion teams to start playing.
Plus, the WNBA would have to approve any further expansion beyond the planned total of 18 teams.
