The WNBA’s Billion-Dollar Question: What Comes After the Boom?

The WNBA returns Friday, one year after rising to new heights upon the addition of Caitlin Clark.

The league set records across the board, from viewership to attendance and merchandise. This season, the WNBA has the opportunity to show it wasn’t just a one-year spike—especially with its 11-year, $2.2 billion media deal kicking in next year.

The preseason provided a positive indicator for the WNBA as the Indiana Fever’s exhibition blowout win over the Brazil women’s national team drew 1.3 million viewers on ESPN, more than the network’s average for regular-season games last year.

What’s New?

• Player movement and league parity: There’s expected to be an expanded group of title contenders this year. Following a .500 season, the Fever are in the hunt after adding several star veterans. But perennial contenders also made moves: The defending champion New York Liberty replaced Courtney Vandersloot with Natasha Cloud, and the Las Vegas Aces traded Kelsey Plum for Jewell Loyd. Brittney Griner signed with the Atlanta Dream, and the Phoenix Mercury replaced her and a retired Diana Taurasi with Satou Sabally and five-time All-Star Alyssa Thomas. The Minnesota Lynx, last year’s runners-up, led by Unrivaled cofounder Napheesa Collier, were the pick of 60% of WNBA GMs to win the 2025 Finals.
• Expansion: The Golden State Valkyries make their official debut Friday at the Chase Center against the Los Angeles Sparks. The Valkyries, the first WNBA expansion team since the Atlanta Dream in 2008, are owned by Warriors owner Joe Lacob, who paid a $50 million expansion fee. He told head coach Natalie Nakase that he aims to win a title within the first five years. The WNBA will add two teams next year in Toronto and Portland, while an unannounced 16th franchise is expected by 2028.
• Schedule: Each team will play a record 44 games this season, up from 40 last year. The WNBA Finals will also be a seven-game series for the first time in history, while the three-game first-round will now have a 1-1-1 format, allowing each team to play at least one home game.
• Bueckers bump: There may be no one in sports who can replicate the star power of Clark, but 2025 No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers has the chance to still provide another lift for the league and bring more attention to the Dallas Wings.

Looming over the entire WNBA season is the CBA negotiations between the league and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association. The players are expecting larger contracts next season, and a work stoppage is possible if the two sides don’t agree to a deal.

“I feel really good that we’ll get something transformational done,” commissioner Cathy Engelbert said on The Bill Simmons Podcast on Wednesday. “The players will posture in the media … but we’re not going to negotiate in the media, we’re going to negotiate around the table.”