The franchise could also raise the city's profile as a major sports town. The proposal for a WNBA team named the Tennessee Summitt comes as the popularity of the sport is skyrocketing and as Nashville solidifies its status as a cultural and economic engine in the Southeast.

Bill Haslam, former governor of Tennessee and current chairman of the Predators, is submitting an expansion bid to bring a Women’s National Basketball Association team to Nashville in 2028.