• Loading stock data...
Saturday, July 12, 2025

WNBA Opening Week Attendance Jumps 24% Year-Over-Year

  • Opening week attendance for the WNBA is up 24% compared to last season’s first week.
  • Commissioner Cathy Engelbert says, “super teams are helpful from a marketing perspective,” as Aces and Liberty see ticket sale surges.
WNBA superteams, the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces, both have seen ticket sale jumps.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Opening week attendance for the WNBA is up 24% compared to last year’s opening week, the league announced Friday. 

The jump in fan attendance comes alongside record-breaking WNBA TV ratings as the opening night game on May 19 between the Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury generated 683,000 average viewers on ESPN with 1 million peak viewers—making it the most-viewed WNBA regular season game on cable in 24 years.

ABC’s May 20 telecast between the Las Vegas Aces and Seattle Storm averaged 589,000 viewers to be the most-viewed WNBA opening weekend game on all networks in 11 years. The WNBA’s opening weekend also drew a record 30 million video views for the league’s social media accounts.

The Aces and New York Liberty, two teams driving the new ‘superteam era’ of the WNBA, had surged in ticket sales for this season, according to The Athletic. The Liberty had a 200% increase in season ticket memberships, while Aces season ticket sales jumped from 4,000 to 5,500 this year.

NFL legend Tom Brady acquired a minority stake in the Aces in March. The organization won last year’s WNBA title with a roster led by star guard Kelsey Plum and two-time MVP A’ja Wilson before signing fellow two-time MVP Candace Parker in the offseason. A trio of star players signed with the Liberty this past offseason—Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot, and Jonquel Jones—joining a lineup that already includes 2022 All-Star Sabrina Ionescu.

“Super teams are helpful from a marketing perspective,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told Front Office Sports. “The super teams certainly draw an interesting narrative. It helps build rivalries and build household names of those players that’s gonna help the entire league.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Has the WNBA Outgrown the Matinee Madness of Camp Days?

Caitlin Clark will return from injury in a Wednesday noon game.
Brooklyn, NY - June 25, 2025 - Barclays Center: Chiney Ogwumike on the set of NBA Today during round one of the 2025 NBA Draft

ESPN’s Chiney Ogwumike on Her Post-WNBA Second Act: ‘I Still Have to..

In her next chapter, Ogwumike is embarking on her new “greatest adventure.”
Dewanna Bonner

DeWanna Bonner Signs With Phoenix Mercury After Fever Saga

Bonner will rejoin the franchise where she won two titles.
Breanna Stewart

WNBA Players Call League Proposal For Fixed Salary Cap Inadequate  

The league’s collective bargaining agreement expires in less than four months.

Featured Today

Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.
July 11, 2025

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.
July 9, 2025

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
July 6, 2025

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
Apr 6, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; The LIV Golf logo is on display along the 10th hole during the second round of LIV Golf Miami golf tournament at Trump National Doral.

LIV Golf’s New Leadership Reapplies for World Ranking Points

The league’s first attempt was denied in 2023.
Stephen Curry celebrates after sinking the winning putt during the final round of the American Century Celebrity Championship golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nev., Sunday, July 16, 2023.
July 10, 2025

Golf’s Hottest Celebrity Tournament Keeps Getting More Exclusive

The American Century Championship tees off at Lake Tahoe on Friday.
July 11, 2025

All-Star Game Returns to Atlanta With Big Plans After 2021 Exit

The league’s jewel event is set to be a global showcase for The Battery.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Bruce Meyer and Tony Clark of the MLBPA
July 10, 2025

MLB, Players’ Union Spar Over Salary Cap As Labor Fight Looms

The MLB Players Association’s No. 2 executive outlines what he sees owners doing.
May 28, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) celebrates during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves in game five of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center.
July 10, 2025

How Does the NBA Salary Cap Work?

The NBA salary cap gives teams a spending limit for their rosters.
Feb 5, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell during the NFLPA press conference at the Super Bowl LIX media center at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
July 10, 2025

NFLPA Head Has Side Hustle With PE Firm That Can Invest in..

The NFLPA’s executive director is embroiled in multiple controversies.
July 10, 2025

Murphy: Club WC Snags Won’t Derail Biggest Event ‘in Human History’

New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium is the concluding site of both FIFA events.