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Stars Go to Vegas to Headline at the Mandalay Bay

By Brian Schwartz

YPSILANTI, MI - OCTOBER 5: Head Coach Bill Laimbeer of the Detroit Shock raises the championship trophy after they win against the San Antonio Silver Stars in Game Three of the WNBA Finals to become WNBA Champions on October 5, 2008 at Eastern Michigan's Convocation Center in Ypsilanti, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Allen Einstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
YPSILANTI, MI - OCTOBER 5: Head Coach Bill Laimbeer of the Detroit Shock raises the championship trophy after they win against the San Antonio Silver Stars in Game Three of the WNBA Finals to become WNBA Champions on October 5, 2008 at Eastern Michigan's Convocation Center in Ypsilanti, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Allen Einstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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It is common for stars to come to Las Vegas to perform.  Now it is official that the WNBA team from San Antonio will be headlining at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas starting next season.  Former New York Liberty Head Coach Bill Laimbeer will be joining the team as head coach and president of basketball operations.

It has not yet been determined yet whether the team will retain the name Stars.

The league announced that the team has been purchased by MGM Resorts International, a global hospitality company that generated consolidated net revenue for 2016 of $9.5 billion.

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Las Vegas gives the WNBA a beachhead in one of the world’s great entertainment capitals.  A flag there can help boost attendance and partnership opportunities.  League President Lisa Borders said in a statement that Las Vegas is an “ideal fit for the WNBA.”  The city is on a roll attracting professional sports teams with a new NHL team and with the Oakland Raiders relocating to the city soon.

The league has not yet announced the date of the lottery for next year’s WNBA draft possibly because it was waiting for the sale of the Stars to be completed.  The Las Vegas team will have a good shot at the No. 1 pick, which could be South Carolina’s A’ja Wilson.  However, Laimbeer is known for making aggressive draft-day trades so anything can happen.  That’s the way Vegas likes it.

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