• Loading stock data...
Sunday, September 14, 2025
Tuned In is Almost Sold Out! Limited Tickets Remain!

WNBA’s Boom Time: Record Growth, Clark’s Debut, a Controversial Deal

  • League attendance is up by nearly a third, while the Liberty set a single-game ticketing record.
  • Plenty of cheap Fever tickets are available as the team has dropped its first three games.
The Indianapolis Star

The 2024 WNBA season has already been seen for some time as an economic watershed for the league, and not just because of the Caitlin Clark (above, left) effect. The early days of the new campaign have helped confirm that notion, but not entirely in positive ways. 

Since the May 14 start of the season, the WNBA has seen:

  • A new single-game ticket revenue record as the New York Liberty generated more than $2 million from their Saturday win over the Indiana Fever at Barclays Center, according to the Associated Press 
  • An average attendance of 8,730, a figure up by nearly one-third from the league’s full-season average in 2023 of 6,615
  • An ESPN viewership record for the WNBA with an average draw of 2.1 million for the Fever–Connecticut Sun game on May 15 

The league’s ongoing growth, however, still contains some elements of controversy. The WNBA is now investigating a sponsorship deal between the Aces and Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in which each player will receive $100,000—a figure higher than the salaries of six players on the team. The basis of the probe, and underlying concern, is whether the Aces will receive an unfair advantage in free agency due to deals such as this. 

Aces star A’ja Wilson, however, said the investigation could set an improper tone and impair the broader mission for the WNBA.

“When we’re talking about growing the game. We’re talking about taking that next step; it can’t always be ‘investigate, investigate, investigate,’” Wilson said. “It has to be like, ‘We’re trying to move the needle. We’re trying to make things better for franchises, for players, for teams.’”

Overmatched in Indy?

On the court, the start of the Clark era with the Fever has often been ugly, with the team losing its first three games by an average of 23 points and the former Iowa star struggling at numerous points as she adjusts to the higher level of competition. 

As that process continues, the secondary market for the Fever continues to show some marked pockets of softness. Tickets to several upcoming Indiana games can easily be purchased for $5 or less, and in some cases just $1, a situation also fueled by extra seating inventory that the team opened up the entire upper deck of Gainbridge Fieldhouse for home contests. If the Fever continue to be dominated by the rest of the league, the previously white-hot ticket market to see Clark will likely see further softening. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Premier Lacrosse League

‘The Circus Is Coming to Town’: Why Upstart Leagues Start on Tour

In their ambitious plans, a traveling schedule is only temporary.
exclusive

Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman, Rob Dauster to Lead On3’s College Hoops..

Goodman previously worked for ESPN, CBS Sports, and Stadium.
Michelle Wu

Josh Kraft, Son of Patriots Owner, Leaves Boston Mayor Race After First-Round..

He challenged Mayor Wu over her support for White Stadium’s costly renovations.
Sep 11, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) dribbles past Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaun (13) in the second half at Target Center.

As WNBA Grows, Engelbert Says Its Playoff Field Won’t for a While

Eight of thirteen WNBA teams made the playoffs this year.

Featured Today

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.
September 11, 2025

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
September 9, 2025

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.

UEFA Delays Overseas Matches Ruling As LaLiga Miami Game Looms

Barcelona-Villarreal is scheduled for late December at Hard Rock Stadium.
Feb 15, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks in a press conference during All Star Saturday Night ahead of the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Chase Center.
September 11, 2025

Silver Says Free Highlights Are an Issue As NBA Begins $77B Deal

Silver called basketball a “highlight-based sport.”
Jun 27, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; A view of a Wilson basketball and the Dallas Wings logo during the game between the Wings and the Indiana Fever at the American Airlines Center.
September 11, 2025

Democratic Women’s Caucus Urges WNBA to End CBA Stalemate

The league and WNBPA must reach an agreement by Oct. 31.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
September 11, 2025

Greg Norman Leaves LIV As Golf World Continues to Shift

Norman relinquished the league’s CEO role in January.
September 11, 2025

Trump’s Golf Empire Grows With 5th Big Tournament in 2 Years

The DP World Tour is heading to Trump International Golf Links Ireland.
September 11, 2025

Kaprizov’s Record Contract Rejection Highlights NHL’s New World

The declined contract would have set records for overall and annual value.
Jan 11, 2024; Paris, FRANCE; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks before a NBA Game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers at AccorHotels Arena.
September 10, 2025

Adam Silver Says Burden Is on NBA to Prove Clippers Violation

The commissioner addressed the Kawhi Leonard allegations for the first time.