PATRICK MAHOMES said he wants to see a WNBA expansion team come to Kansas City (KC).
Unlike the average professional athlete, Mahomes may have the pull, and the money, to make it happen.
鈥淲e want to get basketball to Kansas City in general and then WNBA,鈥 Mahomes said Thursday. 鈥淭he success that they鈥檝e had this last season and these last few seasons, it鈥檚 kind of a no-brainer.鈥
Mahomes and his wife Brittany are investors in the Kansas City Current of the National Women鈥檚 Soccer League. Mahomes also has purchased ownership stakes in Major League Baseball鈥檚 Royals and Major League Soccer鈥檚 Sporting Kansas City.
The three-time Super Bowl champion, who signed a $500 million contract extension with the Chiefs in 2020, said he wants to continue to be a professional sports team owner long after his playing days are done, saying with women鈥檚 sports in particular he wants to 鈥渟howcase to my daughter that she can follow her dream and go out there and execute on whatever that dream is.鈥
Kansas City has an appetite for basketball, thanks to the tradition of the nearby University of Kansas. The city also built an NBA- and NHL-ready arena, the T-Mobile Center, which did not attract a permanent tenant in one of the major leagues.
As the WNBA expands from 12 to 15 teams over the next two seasons, adding clubs in San Francisco, Portland and Toronto, it hopes to reach the round number of 16. Nearby St. Louis and Philadelphia are also expected to compete with Kansas City for a franchise.
鈥淭o try to get a WNBA team in Kansas City to this fan base 鈥 you see it if you talk about University of Kansas basketball, the Chiefs or whatever it is 鈥 the city of Kansas City is going to come out and they鈥檙e going to fill the stadium,鈥 Mahomes said. 鈥 Reuters
