WNBA legend Candace Parker wants to invest in the league.
The Tennessean reports the WNBA intends to add a 16th team in 2028. A group of investors, including Former Governor Bill Haslam, Crissy Haslam, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, and entertainers Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and Parker, have bid for a WNBA team in Nashville, TN, per AP News. The team, named the Tennessee Summitt, would launch by the 2028 timeline and play at Bridgestone Arena.
“We believe a WNBA team, based in Nashville, could serve as a beacon for girls and women, young and old, across Tennessee, while also creating more opportunities for sports fans as our community continues to grow,” Haslam explained, according to AP News.
As for Parker’s interest in bidding for WNBA ownership, it comes full circle. Her earlier career days include her time as an athlete representing the University of Tennessee women’s basketball team Lady Vols. She attended the school between 2004 and 2008 under the guidance of Pat Summitt, the head coach at the time, who also inspired the name of the potential WNBA team. Together, Parker and Summitt won two consecutive national championships, notes Vols Wire.
“This is a real pinch-me moment. When I first came to Tennessee in 2004, I was hopeful it would be a place I’d call home for 4 years. As soon as I got to the state, however, I realized I was wrong and that, in fact, I found a place I’d always know as home,” she wrote on Instagram. “This state is special – from the people to the culture, from the mountains to the cities – and everywhere I go I’m PROUD to say I bleed Orange. If you know me, you know how important and impactful Coach Summitt IS on my life. Coach makes me the best version of myself as a mother, wife, daughter, sister, teammate, and person. I’m honored that we are submitting a bid to the @wnba today for a franchise to be named in her honor.”
