LAS VEGAS — The Bay Area expansion franchise has been a work in progress for much of the last decade. The Golden State Warriors, who were granted the bid, date initial talks back to 2010 when Joe Lacob purchased the NBA team. They often talk about “basketball 365,” a reference to a yearlong presence.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who took her position in 2019, has engaged in talks about a team in the Bay Area on some level her entire tenure. It was only within the last month or so the final talks ramped up for the league’s long-awaited news announced last week.