The WNBA board of governors has unanimously approved the relocation of the Tulsa Shock to Dallas in 2016.
The team’s majority owner, Bill Cameron, had been planning the move all month and publicly announced his intentions to relocate on July 20.
The Lone Star State has a strong women’s basketball culture—boasting four programs that have won NCAA Division I women’s hoops titles—as well as the nation’s fifth-biggest media market. The team will play in UT-Arlington next season.
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NEW YORK, July 23, 2015 – WNBA owners unanimously approved the relocation of the Tulsa Shock to the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. The team will finish the current season in Tulsa before beginning play in Arlington in 2016.
“The WNBA is extremely grateful to the city of Tulsa and the team’s loyal fans. The support they have shown for the Shock and women’s professional basketball over the past six seasons has been tremendous,” said WNBA President Laurel J. Richie. “We look forward to having our first team based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.”
The fourth largest metropolitan area in the U.S., Dallas-Fort Worth represents a well-established professional sports market with one of the top five national media markets.
The Shock will play at College Park Center on the University of Texas at Arlington campus, subject to approval by the University of Texas System’s Board of Regents. Additional information about the team will be forthcoming.
