The WNBA is evaluating two locations to potentially host 2020 WNBA season play–MGM Resorts in Las Vegas and the IMG Academy in Florida–but there is still much up in the air, according to reports.
According to this AP report, there have been no decisions on what form the 2020 WBNA season will take, nor where it will be held if it indeed held. One option floating around that seems to be gaining some momentum is a single-location season, a route that’s currently planned for MLS and will be endorsed by the NBA this week. (MLB, on the other hand, still is planing a season at home ballparks.)
And if there is a single-location season, two locations under considerations are MGM Resorts in Las Vegas and the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, on the southern end of the greater Tampa Bay Area. Holding games at MGM Resorts facilities may be the most convenient: though the Mandalay Bay arena would probably be deemed unusable (MGM owns the Las Vegas Aces, and this is where the teams play), play could take place at MGM Grand Garden Arena and T-Mobile Arena, with plenty of hotel rooms at the MGM Grand available IMG Academy is technically a prep school where plenty of prospective athletes attend school, but there is an onsite hotel (Legacy Hotel) and additional dorms and villas. From AP:
Details of the logistics of how the league and its 12 teams would operate at either location remain unclear.
[WNBA Commissioner Cathy] Engelbert told the AP once again on Tuesday that the league has talked about a number of options, but declined to confirm whether IMG Academy or MGM topped the list of possible destinations.
“We’re looking at the pros and cons of a number of different locations,” Engelbert said.
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