Expansion? Kelsey Plum would prefer WNBA to focus on current issues

WNBA expansion seems to always be a topic of discussion around the league.

It always comes up at commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s state of the league news conference at the All-Star Game.

Last weekend was no different. As the WNBA tips off the second half of its season, add expansion to the list of topics on the minds of players and the league.

For several years, Engelbert has said the league would expand when the time was right and the 12 current teams were in good standing financially. The league hasn’t had an expansion franchise since Atlanta in 2008; Las Vegas and Dallas were existing franchises that relocated.

Engelbert says it’s not just picking the right cities. What’s more important is finding ownership groups that would be a good fit for the league.

During All-Star weekend, Engelbert said the league should have some expansion news later this season.

While no specific cities have been named as possible expansion locations, Engelbert mentioned the success of the preseason game in Toronto between Chicago and Minnesota that drew nearly 20,000 fans.

Players aren’t so eager for expansion, feeling there are other things the league should be focused on, such as travel and salary benefits.

“I feel like we have some holes that we can work on currently,” said Las Vegas guard Kelsey Plum, an ex-Washington Huskies star who is the first vice president of the WNBA Players Association. “We can do a better job of figuring out ways to fix some of the current issues we have coming up.”

Plum knows the league needs to expand its footprint, but believes players need to be treated better first.

“I understand expansion is important, I understand growing the league, I understand growing in cities, and I do think that’s something to come,” Plum said. “I don’t think that should take precedence over charter flights. I don’t think that should take precedence over salary benefits.”

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Napheesa Collier scored 35 points for the Lynx.

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