Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are still both on their rookie deals, likely to be under their respective contracts until 2028. If both the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky pick up their team options in 2027, both Clark and Reese are already being eyed by WNBA legend Cynthia Cooper.
A former player for the Houston Comets, Cooper was among many in the WNBA community to back Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta up in his plan to revive the city’s WNBA team. In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, Cooper talked about the possibility of acquiring a player with either Clark or Reese’s caliber, confident in her belief that Houston fans would get behind that movement.
“I think the fans would rally around that effort to bring some of the A’ja Wilsons, Caitlin Clarks, the Angel Reeses, you know, Stewie out in New York and Sabrina, bring them out here to Houston in front of the Houston fan base,” Cooper said.
Several cities want to become the new home to the WNBA’s next expansion team following the Golden State Valkyries, which will debut next season, and the Toronto Tempo, which will play games in 2026. And given the history of the Comets, Houston seems to have a strong chance to be it.
Another expansion team could be introduced in 2027 or 2028, and it will be around the same time Caitlin Clark and Reese’s contracts will be up and free agency talks surrounding them could surface. Whether or not that expansion team ends up being the Houston Comets is another issue.
Rockets owner doubles down on reviving Comets with Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese
The WNBA has begun to expand at a significant pace with Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese joining the league last season. It has enjoyed a spike in viewership, attendance, and merchandise sales numbers across the board.
Given the boon, the women’s league seems eager to expand further beyond the Valkyries next season and the Tempo in 2026. Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta said in a statement to the Houston Chronicle that it’s time to bring the WNBA back to the Space City.
“The Houston Comets helped put the WNBA on the map and the City of Houston deserves the chance to once again show how great of a place it is for women’s basketball,” Fertitta said.
“We still proudly display the Comets championship banners and retired jerseys at Toyota Center. It’s been far too long; it’s time to bring the WNBA back to Houston,” he continued.
The Comets, which the league disbanded in 2008, remains the only WNBA team in history to achieve a four-peat as champions. Led by Cynthia Cooper and Sheryl Swoopes, the team won the WNBA championship in 1997 and successfully defended their title until Year 2000.
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