DETROIT >> It has been 16 years since Deanna Nolan last played a game for the Detroit Shock. It occurred during the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals when the Shock’s season ended in a 72-67 loss to the Indiana Fever, who eliminated Detroit in three games.

Nolan scored 16 points in her final game in the WNBA, and the Shock’s final moment as a franchise in Detroit, as they relocated to Tulsa the following season.

Sixteen years later, Nolan was ecstatic when learning Detroit had become one of three cities awarded an expansion franchise. The WNBA announced the news Monday morning, with Detroit set to join the league in 2029.

“It feels great, it’s so awesome,” Nolan told The Detroit News. “Sixteen years is a long time since women’s basketball hasn’t been in Detroit, especially when it comes to the history of Detroit Shock basketball. We had great fans. We turned that franchise around and made it into a successful and winning franchise. I remember all of my teammates and the hard work we put in representing Detroit.”

Joining Detroit in the WNBA expansion are Cleveland and Philadelphia, who will join the league in 2028 and 2030, respectively.

The idea of bringing the WNBA back to Detroit started from a conversation between Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores and vice chairman Arn Tellem nearly 10 years ago.

“This is a great win for the city; we are super proud of and super excited about, bringing a team to Detroit,” Tellem told The Detroit News. “Everyone believes this is the right time to bring a team back. The league is going through incredible growth and success. This is a great victory not only for bringing women’s basketball back to the city, but also shows what we can accomplish when we work together.”

Nolan played her entire career in Detroit after the Shock selected her with the sixth overall pick in the 2001 WNBA Draft from Georgia. A Flint native, she averaged 13.6 points and 3.8 rebounds over her nine-year career.

Alongside Hall of Famer Swin Cash, Nolan helped the Shock establish itself as one of the most preeminent teams in WNBA history by winning three championships in 2003, ’06, and ’08. A five-time All-Star, Nolan won Finals MVP in 2006 after the Shock defeated the Sacramento Monarchs in a best-of-five series.

Nolan watched as the fan base and interest grew substantially, which led to the Shock finishing in the top five in attendance for three straight seasons.

Game 3 of the 2003 WNBA Finals featured the Shock setting the league’s single-game attendance record with 22,076 fans at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Detroit earned its first championship title in franchise history in an 83-78 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks.

“That was one of the biggest turnarounds and comeback stories, to go from worst to first,” Nolan said, referring to the Shock’s WNBA-worst 9-23 record in 2002. “(The fans) were so amped. They had signs. They were loud. You could feel the energy during warm-ups. It set the tone for us as we knew we had the fans and that the city was behind us.”

The ownership group, led by Gores, includes a diverse and accomplished collection of equity investors from various sectors, including sports, business, entertainment, media and finance. Other investors, in addition to Gores, include NBA Hall of Famers Grant Hill and Chris Webber. A handful of other noteworthy figures include Detroit Lions principal owner Sheila Hamp, General Motors CEO Mary Barra, and Lions quarterback Jared Goff.

“Detroit is an amazing sports town; There is a rich history that we are proud of and that we can build off,” Tellem said. “To me, this is a great win for sports fans, but it is also symbolic of what can happen when we act as partners and put Detroit first. When we come together, nothing is impossible.”

Detroit’s new WNBA team does not have a name; however, they will play all home games at Little Caesars Arena. The team will also have its own facility for its players and staff. Additionally, the new facility, potentially to be located on the Detroit Riverfront just west of the MacArthur Bridge, will also function as a youth sports complex.

It will take four years before Detroit plays its first game since 2009, but Nolan already has made plans to be in attendance when the WNBA returns to the Motor City.

“I will make time for that first game,” Nolan said. “I think it is going to be a great welcome. Even to this day, when I am out and about, people will recognize me and ask about the Shock and if the team was coming back. Everyone has been waiting for this for a long time.”