Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told The Athletic she hopes to identify one or two cities for an expansion franchise by the start of the WNBA playoffs in September or by year’s end at the latest. Those new teams could begin to play as early as the 2024 season, she said. This would be the first time the league has added an expansion team since the Atlanta Dream were founded in 2008. When the new team, or teams, enter the WNBA, it will mark the long-awaited end to a process that has already reached critical mass. The Athletic spoke to more than 20 people in and around the WNBA with knowledge of league expansion and its financial picture to learn more about the league’s plans. It is an attempt to not only suss out which cities have a chance to become a future WNBA outpost, but also to understand how much a franchise is worth in a league where team values are hard to ascertain.