On Friday, May 16, the WNBA will tip off its 29th season. After a record-breaking 2024, this year is shaping up to be a telltale campaign.
The league is looking to capitalize on its tremendous growth and new stable of superstars, but numerous roadblocks could derail the momentum.
One thing is certain — the best women’s basketball players in the world want more of the WNBA’s financial pie. In 2024, the league said it delivered its most-watched regular season in 24 years, with more than 54 million unique viewers. It also had its highest total attendance in 22 years, with over 2.3 million fans. That’s an increase of 48% from 2023.
The league rode the Caitlin Clark phenomenon to new heights, and the superstar guard for the Indiana Fever is ready for the encore and the expectations her second season will bring.
“We understand the spotlight,” Clark said on a press call. “We understand people expect this team to win, and that’s exactly what we want to do for our fans and for this organization.”
“For me personally, I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Clark added.
More records will likely be broken in the next couple of seasons, if for no other reason than the exposure a new $200 million annual TV contract will provide. The 11-year deal with Disney, Amazon Prime and NBC starts in 2026 and is expected to generate $2.2 billion for the WNBA. But the league also requires more investment.
For instance, several teams have put money into WNBA-specific practice facilities and the league made the switch from commercial air travel to charter flights for every game.
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The WNBA had its most-watched regular season in 24 years, with more than 54 million unique viewers in 2024. At least 2.4 million people attended games in person.
The WNBA doesn’t make their financial reports public, but according to NBA officials, in 28 seasons the league has yet to turn a profit. Despite their record numbers in 2024, The Washington Post reported the league lost $50 million last year. That isn’t necessarily a problem as long as the NBA, which owns around 60% of the league, continues supporting the WNBA.
Joe Lacob, owner of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, paid a $50 million expansion fee for the Golden State Valkyries. The team used the Warriors’ existing infrastructure to launch over the last 6 months.
They’ll play their first game Friday night, May 16, against the Los Angeles Sparks in front of a sold-out crowd at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty said it’s another great sign for the league.
“I saw the Valkyries had 17,000 for their first preseason game,” Stewart told reporters. “Those things are a little bit unheard of, they haven’t happened before and it just shows the desire and the want to be a part of what we’re doing in the WNBA and how people want to continue to support.”
What else looms on the horizon for the league?
Toronto and Portland will also add expansion teams next year, with fees of over $125 million paid to the league. Add it all up, and cash is coming in from television rights, expansion fees as well as new investment and sponsorship partners.
The biggest cost, however, is on the very near horizon. The players have decided to opt out of their collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the league at the end of this season. They have seen the explosion in popularity firsthand. Players also see the new dollars it’s creating, and want higher salaries and a share of league revenue as a result.
As a member of the WNBA’s players’ union, Stewart has already been a part of two CBA negotiations.
“Everything is going right in our favor as we’re getting into negotiations for a new CBA,” Stewart said. “But I think that both sides are playing. We’re doing this together. We know that this is a big momentum shift for the WNBA and we all need to take advantage of it.”
Stewart is diplomatic now, but the union has said they are not against sitting out games to get what they want. Currently, the players are estimated to receive about 10% of WNBA revenues, compared with the 50% NBA players receive. The minimum salary in the WNBA is just over $64,000 per year, while the max is just over $241,000.
Certainly, the league will be celebrated this weekend as the games tip off — but away from the bright lights and spectacular Clark plays, there will surely be some growing pains to work through.
