As cities across the country compete for the opportunity to host the next Women’s National Basketball Association team, the league has quietly submitted a trademark application this week for the name “Detroit Shock.”
The application, filed on Thursday, specifies that the intended use is for a basketball team, merchandise, jerseys, and in-arena signage that may be featured on TV or radio broadcasts. This move could provide insights into the league’s final decision regarding the location of a new franchise.
On Friday, Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores made a bid for Detroit to become the home of a new team. The ownership group would be spearheaded by Gores and would also include prominent figures such as Detroit Lions principal owner and chair Sheila Ford Hamp, former Detroit Pistons stars Grant Hill and Chris Webber, General Motors CEO Mary Barra, and Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff.
“Detroit is a sports town that loves its teams deeply and consistently shows up with unwavering passion,” stated Gores.
The WNBA and Detroit Pistons have not yet responded to CNBC’s request for comment on the trademark application.
According to Josh Gerben, a trademark attorney at Gerben IP, who is not associated with the specific filing, the recent trademark application by the WNBA is the sole submission from the professional women’s basketball league since early December.
Unlike other professional sports leagues where individual teams manage their own trademark filings, Gerben mentioned that the WNBA retains the rights to all names and logos for the league’s franchises.
Gerben suggested that the filing could indicate that Detroit’s bid is successful and that plans are underway to establish the team. However, he also noted that the application could serve as a precautionary measure against potential trademark infringements.
Another trademark application for “Detroit Shock” was submitted by an individual named Ryan Reed in July 2023, but it has not yet been approved. Reed, who claims to be based in Detroit and identifies as the founder of a women’s basketball league on LinkedIn, is associated with this application.
The Detroit Shock, a WNBA team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, from 1998 to 2009, secured three WNBA Championships in 2003, 2006, and 2008. The team relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2009 and played there until 2015 before moving to Arlington, Texas, where they currently compete as the Dallas Wings.
During the WNBA Finals in October, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert mentioned that at least 10 cities had shown interest in launching an expansion team.
“We’re not in a huge rush. We’d like to bring it in ’27 or no later than ’28,” Engelbert stated at the time regarding the addition of a 16th team.
Cities such as Cleveland, Kansas City, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Houston, Austin, Nashville, and Milwaukee are among those seeking to introduce women’s professional basketball to their communities.
