Everyone really has been watching women’s sports. The WNBA announced Thursday that they have set a single-season attendance record, breaking the previous record from 2002. Seems odd that that record had been held since 2002, right? Well, back then, there were 16 WNBA teams; this year, there are 13 teams. This highlights the growing interest in women’s basketball but also the commitment from franchises to make sure their venues have enough seating for everyone who wants to come watch the action. Many games this season have been moved to bigger venues to accommodate. That, plus the boom in women’s basketball fandom the league has seen, has resulted in historic attendance records.
The WNBA’s latest announcement is another reminder they need to pay players what they’re worth
The WNBA broke an attendance record set in 2002, and it’s another reason for them not to risk such growth with a contentious negotiation.
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Chelsea Leite has been writing about professional basketball since 2021, and covers both the Toronto Raptors and Toronto Tempo as a credentialed reporter for SB Nation.
Attendance is different from viewership, of course. This is measuring people who showed up and not people who tuned in. With only 13 WNBA markets, it can be hard to get everyone who would love to see a WNBA game live in person out to one. Yet, the league has already broken the record with multiple weeks still left in the regular season.
So far in 2025, 2,501,609 fans have attended a total of 226 games. When the record was set in 2002, it was across 256 total games, and again with three more teams in the mix.
These moves to bigger arenas have been for games featuring the league’s next generation of stars, including Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese. Despite those who feared the league would be in trouble attendance-wise after Caitlin Clark was injured earlier in the season, people have continued to show up for these games. Even when the league traveled to Canada for its first international regular-season game between the Atlanta Dream and Seattle Storm, the game was sold out, with over 15,000 fans in attendance.
The WNBA is still in growth mode as well. After welcoming their 13th team this season with the addition of the Golden State Valkyries (who have contributed to league attendance at their famed “Ballhalla” in the Bay), the WNBA will welcome two more teams next year with the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire. Three more teams in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia will join by 2030. Surpassing that 16-team mark and heading up to 18 total WNBA teams will only see these attendance records get broken more and more over the next 5 seasons.
The league is at a pivotal point of growth at the moment, which is why coming to a deal with the Players’ Union and signing a new Collective Bargaining Agreement soon is important. If the league lets the current CBA expire at the end of October and there is any kind of work stoppage, this growth could falter. The players are fighting for better revenue share, increased salaries, and protections among many other areas as well. While there have been multiple meetings and negotiations, it doesn’t seem like the two sides are any closer to signing a new contract.
It’s an important time for the growth of the league, and the perfect time for players to use their leverage to get what they deserve.
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