Tulsa is losing its WNBA franchise.
Shock majority owner Bill Cameron announced Monday that he is seeking approval from the league's board of governors to relocate to the Dallas-Fort Worth market.
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That request comes six years after the Shock moved from Detroit, where it began life as an expansion team in 1998, to Tulsa.
“This is a very difficult decision, and I know it is particularly difficult for the Tulsa investors," Cameron said in a statement. "From a business perspective, it was necessary to evaluate options to place the team and the organization in the best position to achieve financial success. After a thorough review, I believe the Dallas-Fort Worth area holds the greatest potential to achieve our long-term business objectives.”
The Shock has been among the league's least successful teams since moving to Oklahoma, compiling a 51-136 record (.273) despite a 10-7 start to the current season. The 2011 Tulsa team, which went 3-31, holds the WNBA mark for the lowest winning percentage at .088.
As relocation rumors swirled last week, the Tulsa World noted that the Shock was last in the WNBA in attendance last season at 5,566 per game and the number was down to 5,444 this year. The Shock drew 5,987 to BOK Center on Sunday but suffered its first home loss of the season, 79-72 to Minnesota.
