Senior Staff Writer/Editor/Host
It can be argued that women’s basketball’s rise to prominence was born in the Volunteer State. No one did more for the sport than Pat Summitt—player, coach, or otherwise. Without her, would we have Dawn Staley, Geno Auriemma, Caitlin Clark, or Angel Reese? The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame isn’t just anywhere; it’s in Knoxville. So why, then, has Tennessee never had a WNBA team…yet?
That conundrum may soon be solved. A powerful ownership group—including Bill and Crissy Haslam, Candace Parker, Peyton Manning, and even Faith Hill and Tim McGraw—has come together to bid for a WNBA team in Tennessee.
"This is going to be Tennessee's team," Crissy Haslam told The Tennessean. "There will be families with daughters who play basketball, but also people who don’t even realize yet that they’re going to love this sport."
While the Volunteer State landing a WNBA team in Nashville is inherently tied to Pat Summitt, what truly brings it all together—wrapped in a big, beautiful orange and Summitt Blue bow—is the proposed name: Tennessee Summitt.
The choice of Nashville over Knoxville likely comes down to market size. As Tennessee’s largest city, Nashville offers a bigger media presence, corporate sponsors, and a thriving pro sports culture. But make no mistake—this team’s heart will be in Knoxville, where Summitt built the foundation of women’s basketball excellence.
If the bid is accepted, the ‘Summitt’ would become Tennessee’s only professional women’s team and the WNBA’s 16th franchise—fitting, as Tennessee was the 16th state to join the Union 229 years ago in 1796.
The team’s roster will be built through an expansion draft, free agency, and the traditional WNBA Draft. In the expansion draft, existing WNBA teams can protect a set number of players (typically six to eight), while the rest become available for selection by the new team. This means the ‘Summitt’ could have the chance to add experienced WNBA talent right away.
Which players—or former Lady Vols—would you like to see suit up for the ‘Summitt’?
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