From four championships to a 17-year absence, the Houston Comets story is coming full circle. Here’s what the comeback could mean for fans and the local economy.

HOUSTON — Sports fans aren’t the only ones excited about the WNBA coming back to Houston. Downtown business owners and economists say the return of the Comets could mean a massive financial boost for the city, with one recent expansion team generating more than $70 million in revenue in its first year.

The deal still needs official approval from the league, but all indications are it’s going to happen.

At Guadalajara Restaurant in the downtown area known as Greenstreet, the lunch crowd is already buzzing. General Manager Jossai De La Paz says the timing feels right.

“Pretty excited here. We’ve been having the men’s basketball team for a while. I think it’s pretty good that we’re finally getting a women’s team. It’s been awhile.”

The original Houston Comets won four WNBA championships before the team folded in 2008. Legends like Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper and coach Van Chancellor are honored on the Houston Sports Walk of Fame. Now, businesses near Toyota Center are hoping a new era of Comets basketball brings more of those iconic moments — and more foot traffic.

Matt Ragan, managing director of Rebees Management, the company redeveloping the Greenstreet area, says the combination of NBA and WNBA games could stretch the economic benefit across most of the calendar year.

“With an NBA team that’s popular and a WNBA team that we think is gonna be very popular, it’s gonna mean stretching out that economic impact throughout almost the entire year. It’s huge for us.”

The numbers back up that enthusiasm. Professor Carrie Potter, who teaches sports finance at Rice University, points to a recent WNBA expansion as a benchmark for what Houston might expect.

“The last team that launched in the WNBA was the Golden State Valkyries last year, and they had over $70 million of revenue generation. So those are the types of numbers we’re looking at.”

That’s good news for business owners, job seekers and Houston sports fans alike.

Got a news tip or story idea? Email us at newstips@khou.com or call 713-521-4310 and include the best way to reach you.