Iowa State also draws very well and their team doesn't have Joens anymore. Des Moines is essentially a college town with some minor league teams there. And I don't believe Des Moines has ever been mentioned by Cathy for a possible expansion city.
The study would look at the demand for an NBA or WNBA team in Pittsburgh.
i can see why a study would have to be done to gauge interest in a WNBA team. some people just aren't as open about their interest in women's sports as they may seem.
that said: if one has to conduct a formal study in order to gauge whether a city's citizens want an NBA team, as opposed to just being able to know... idk man.
Pittsburgh seems low on the totem pole as it relates to any professional basketball reaching there, and i think its citizens have been aware of that. they don't even have a G-league team...