WNBA announces relocation of San Antonio to Las Vegas

The WNBA has officially announced the relocation of the San Antonio Stars franchise to Las Vegas. Last week, multiple reports stated this was going to happen, and Swish Appeal was first to report that Las Vegas was the likely destination:

The WNBA and NBA Board of Governors have unanimously approved the relocation of the San Antonio Stars to Las Vegas, WNBA President Lisa Borders announced today. MGM Resorts International will own and operate the team, which will begin play in Las Vegas in the 2018 season. The team’s home arena will be the Mandalay Bay Events Center, one of the city’s premier entertainment venues, having hosted major concert and sports events since opening in 1999.

“We are thrilled to bring the first major professional basketball team to Las Vegas,” said Borders. “This city and MGM Resorts are synonymous with world-class entertainment. With its culture of diversity and inclusion, MGM Resorts is an ideal fit for the WNBA.”

A leading entertainment and hospitality company, MGM Resorts International is renowned for its resorts and entertainment venues around the globe. The company is based in Las Vegas, which sees more than 43 million visitors from around the world annually. MGM Resorts’ brands include the iconic Bellagio, Mandalay Bay and MGM Grand, and the company has a storied history of hosting many of the city’s biggest entertainment and sporting events.

More details to come.