Exclusive Event: WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to Meet with Denver Investors This Week

The Los Angeles Sparks gather before their WNBA basketball game versus the Connecticut Sun on Thursday, September 9, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Cathy Engelbert, the Commissioner of the WNBA, is set to visit Denver on Wednesday as part of the league’s evaluation of the city as a potential location for an expansion team, potentially as early as 2025. The group meeting with Engelbert has remained tight-lipped about the visit, but it has been confirmed that she will engage with a potential investment team and inspect gymnasiums suitable for a WNBA team to play and practice.

The investment team includes Robert Cohen, chairman and CEO of IMA Financial Group; Navin Dimond, CEO and co-founder of Stonebridge Companies; and Ashley Dimond, the director of strategy at Stonebridge. Although they declined to comment, former Denver Nugget Bill Hanzlik stated that he has been involved as a potential non-profit partner with the investors seeking a WNBA franchise in Denver.

Engelbert, accompanied by Todd DeMoss, the WNBA’s associate vice president of basketball operations, will assess Ball Arena, home of the Nuggets and Avalanche, and Magness Arena on the University of Denver campus.

In an interview with Front Office Sports, Engelbert mentioned the league’s consideration of adding one or two teams by 2025 in 10 different cities, including Denver. She emphasized the WNBA’s intention to expand, providing greater opportunities for women to play professional basketball in the U.S.

The WNBA’s growing popularity is evidenced by the increase in viewership, a trend that was also noted by the expansion team campaign “For Denver FC” in the quest to bring a professional women’s soccer club to the city.

Overall, the investment efforts in Denver by businessmen such as Cohen and Navin Dimond represent the growing interest in expanding women’s professional sports teams in the city and across the country. The potential for a WNBA expansion team in Denver is an exciting prospect for women’s professional basketball in the area and well beyond.

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Rachel Adams

Rachel Adams is your WNBA insider, delivering comprehensive coverage of women’s basketball. With a commitment to highlighting the talent and achievements of WNBA players, she provides game analysis, player profiles, and inspiring stories from the league.