(WXYZ) — The Detroit Pistons are exploring several team names, including the Detroit Shock, for the city's WNBA team.
During the Detroit City Council hearing on Tuesday, Richard Haddad, the COO and chief legal officer for Pistons Sports & Entertainment, spoke about the proposed plan for a WNBA practice facility along the Detroit River at the former Uniroyal site.
Watch below: Detroit's riverfront could get new WNBA facility on former Uniroyal tire site
Haddad said that the plan for the site aims to increase youth participation and sports sampling for Detroit kids.
He was then asked what the name of the WNBA team would be.
"The name has not yet been determined. We are exploring multiple options, including the Detroit Shock, as hopefully, some or all of you know, was the name of the team that was here before." Haddad said. "We're open to suggestions if you have any, but we're excited to continue to work through that process."
You can hear more from Haddad in the video below
The trademark for the Detroit Shock is owned by the Women's Basketball League Inc., which is a corporation in Detroit, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The patent office also has an application for the Detroit Shock filed by WNBA Enterprises LLC.
A report by the Detroit Free Press over the summer found that the Women's Basketball League is owned by Detroit native Ryan Reed. According to the Free Press, Reed confirmed he was in communication with the WNBA about the possibility of relinquishing the rights to the Shock.
In June, the WNBA announced that it was officially coming back to Detroit, with a team launching in 2029.
Watch below: WNBA to return to Detroit in 2029
Earlier this year, group of investors, led by Pistons Owner Tom Gores, announced they planned to bid to bring the WNBA back to the Motor City.
“The demand for women’s basketball has never been higher, and we are thrilled to welcome Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia to the WNBA family,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. “This historic expansion is a powerful reflection of our league’s extraordinary momentum, the depth of talent across the game, and the surging demand for investment in women’s professional basketball."
In Detroit, the WNBA ownership group is led by Gores and his wife, Holly, as well as several others including Detroit Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp and her husband, Steve; GM CEO Mary Barra and her husband, Tony; Pistons Hall of Famer Grant Hill & his wife, Tamia and many more. See the full list of investors here.
“This is a huge win for Detroit and the WNBA. Today marks the long-hoped-for return of the WNBA to a city with deep basketball roots and a championship tradition," Gores said in a statement. "Detroit played a key role in the league’s early growth, and we’re proud to reignite that legacy as the WNBA ascends to new heights. Our plans will bring new energy, investment and infrastructure to our city and the WNBA, and additional resources to our community.”
The city previously had a WNBA team, but the Detroit Shock left the city in 2009. They won WNBA championships in 2003, 2006 and 2008.
