Tennessee U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) are voicing their support for Nashville’s bid to host a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) franchise.
Last month, former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, his wife, Crissy, and a group of investors submitted an expansion bid to bring a WNBA team, called the Tennessee Summitt, to Nashville.
Haslam said that a WNBA franchise 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.”
Blackburn and Hagerty advocated for Nashville’s bid for an WNBA franchise in a letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert on Wednesday, citing Nashville’s continuous standing as a top global travel destination in addition to Tennesseans’ “unmatched” fan base for teams across the state.
“Nashville has been named a top global travel destination by major travel outlets for more than a decade, in part because of the state of Tennessee’s investment in our unique culture and industries,” the senators said.
“The investment in our sports teams is evident, and Tennessee’s sports fans are unmatched. Tennessee’s fanbases extend across cities—everyone roots for the Predators, the Titans, Nashville Soccer Club, and the Memphis Grizzlies. In the good times and the bad, that support would be extended to the Tennessee Summitt,” the senators added.
Blackburn and Hagerty also argued that Nashville’s infrastructure is well-equipped to host an WNBA franchise, noting how the Summitt would play in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, home of the Predators.
“As long-term advocates for opportunities and equal facilities for female athletes, we are confident that the Tennessee Summitt will be well served in Nashville…We urge you to award the bid for the Tennessee Summitt, and we stand ready to provide you with any additional information or support you may need as you consider this proposal,” the senators said.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Sens. Blackburn and Hagerty” by Marsha Blackburn, “Tennessee Summit” by Tennessee Summit, and “WNBA Gameday” by WNBA.
