Could Austin be home to the next WNBA team?

AUSTIN, Texas - The WNBA is looking to expand and Austin is throwing its hat in the ring to bring a team to the capital city.

Who is Fran Harris?

Fran Harris

The backstory:

"I remember thinking one day I want to own a WNBA team," said Fran Harris, a potential Austin WNBA team owner.

What started out as an idea 30 years ago for Fran Harris could soon become a reality.

"I remember the first home game for the Houston Comets, who I played for in the inaugural season in 1997. I remember seeing 16,000 fans in the building, including my family. We never thought that day would come when there would be a legit women's basketball professional league," said Harris.

Fran Harris is a former Texas Longhorn

The former WNBA champion is now leading the charge to bring a WNBA team to Austin.

The Dallas native was a key member of the 1985-86 Texas Longhorn NCAA championship team, UT women’s athletics hall of honor inductee, and is a seasoned sports broadcaster.

"I've seen Austin go from the sleepy town slash city that it was when I got here as a teenager into a full-grown sports town. And so, I'm excited to think about the possibilities of bringing a WNBA team here," Harris said.

Austin's pitch for a WNBA team

What they're saying:

In 2022, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert reached out to Harris to talk about the league’s future. That's when Harris brought up the idea of bringing a team to Austin.

"You've got to have the financial backing from someone who understands what it takes to run a sports team. You need a city that is ready to support the WNBA," said Harris.

She says Austin checked all those boxes.

Harris is joined by lead investor, and former Milwaukee Bucks owner, Marc Lasry; Jenny Just, co-founder of technology company Peak 6 headquartered in Austin; and NBA star and former Longhorn Kevin Durant.

She says the team submitted a bid, along with over 10 other cities, including Houston, Kansas City, and Nashville.

But what sets Austin apart from the others?

"Austin happens to fit in that nice gap of being a sports town that has a great university following, that has great support from sponsors and fans. But we're not inundated and run by multiple sports teams," said Harris.

Longhorn’s women's basketball head coach Vic Schaefer is in full support of adding a professional team.

"I hope they get it. I think it'd be great for our city and great for our state, you know, to have two great teams, have two teams in the league would be wonderful," said Schaefer.

What's next:

Harris says now it’s a waiting game for the WNBA to make a decision. She says that could happen anytime this year.

As for where the team would play, Harris says the team is finalizing details to play at Moody Center. 

For updates, click here.