RealGM

https://www.beyondwomenssports.com/wnba-attendance-report-final-2024-report/

At the end of the 2024 season, the Indiana Fever saw the largest increase from last season (+318.8%). Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Sparks were second (+68.5%), followed by the New York Liberty (+63.7%). In contrast, the lowest increases from last season were the Phoenix Mercury (+16.5%) followed by the Las Vegas Aces (+18.1%). Additionally, all twelve teams increased their attendance from last season. Overall, league attendance was up by 48.2 percent from 2023, and this season was the third highest in league history (9,807). The league only averaged more fans in the 1998 and 1999 seasons (10,869 and 10,205).

Yeaaaaaah baby. We are growing!!!

The future is bright! - Almost impossible to F it up.

-2025: Valkyries, Bueckers in LA?
-2026: Mega free agency + Toronto & Portland enter the league.
-2027: Juju has people already waiting for her so fans will definitely stay tuned in to 2027 when she joins the league
-2028: Olympics in LA.

I'm sure we will see more hyped women coming into college and working their butts off to make the WNBA. More elite players incoming!

cdubbz wrote:The future is bright! - Almost impossible to F it up.

-2025: Valkyries, Bueckers in LA?
-2026: Mega free agency + Toronto & Portland enter the league.
-2027: Juju has people already waiting for her so fans will definitely stay tuned in to 2027 when she joins the league
-2028: Olympics in LA.

I'm sure we will see more hyped women coming into college and working their butts off to make the WNBA. More elite players incoming!

This is so exciting. I feel like this is the beginning of a Golden Age

why do the wings, mystics, and dream play in such small arenas?
that's holding down the numbers

2026 seems like it has the potential to be one of the craziest seasons any sports league has had in decades

hermes wrote:2026 seems like it has the potential to be one of the craziest seasons any sports league has had in decades

The entire landscape will shift...our teams will all look entirely different.

hermes wrote:why do the wings, mystics, and dream play in such small arenas?
that's holding down the numbers

Yeah and add the Sun as well? They sold out TD Garden i think they need to move honestly to Boston

It's CC's league that's not up for debate. I can't wait to see what she does next season.

MrDollarBills wrote:

hermes wrote:2026 seems like it has the potential to be one of the craziest seasons any sports league has had in decades

The entire landscape will shift...our teams will all look entirely different.

I wonder how many super teams will actually be made though with every player aiming to get paid + 2 more teams added. Don't have time to do it now, but would be a fun exercise to do a mock draft.

i wonder if player collusion is something the league needs to be concerned about

hermes wrote:i wonder if player collusion is something the league needs to be concerned about

They aren't at that evolution spot as a league yet. Close, perhaps a decade away, but at this point if you can get a couple teams full of top tier talent to battle each other and sell the rivalry you do so. It's a sad truth but Indiana only has a couple years to get this right or they'll have everyone breathing down their necks. You need CC in at least the conference finals every year until further notice.

Saw a graph that tracked league attendance since the wnba's inaugural year. What it showed is that early on attendance was very good (during the 8 team era). Years progressed and the league expanded but the attendance began to drop; before hitting a baseline of minimal decline or growth for a decade. The pandemic hit and league attendance cratered and has slowly been recovering to get back to that baseline point.

So yes the last few years the league was growing, but in reality it was really just getting the fans back that they had lost. CC helped to speed up this recovery and then take it to a new level.

cdubbz wrote:

MrDollarBills wrote:

hermes wrote:2026 seems like it has the potential to be one of the craziest seasons any sports league has had in decades

The entire landscape will shift...our teams will all look entirely different.

I wonder how many super teams will actually be made though with every player aiming to get paid + 2 more teams added. Don't have time to do it now, but would be a fun exercise to do a mock draft.

I think it would be fun to do a board mock draft tbh.

I don't think we'll see many super teams form. More roster spots, more money...players will need to make business decisions.

DOT wrote:https://www.theringer.com/college-basketball/2024/10/3/24260217/paige-bueckers-uconn-womens-basketball-national-championship-wnba

Buckets will not be denied!!!

MrDollarBills wrote:Buckets will not be denied!!!

She's so good, man

I kinda want her to end up in LA, cause her and Brink would be nasty, but at the same time, you know the mouthbreathers would start migrating over there

Her first game vs Clark next season is gonna be great. Kinda nuts that the college season doesn't even start until after the pro season's over though.

DOT wrote:

MrDollarBills wrote:Buckets will not be denied!!!

She's so good, man

I kinda want her to end up in LA, cause her and Brink would be nasty, but at the same time, you know the mouthbreathers would start migrating over there

Her first game vs Clark next season is gonna be great. Kinda nuts that the college season doesn't even start until after the pro season's over though.

She really is. I'll never forget when I first saw a clip of her playing in high school. She was running the wing on a fast break being trailed by a defender. She caught the pass in the corner, and pump faked...and sent the poor girl who was trying to defend her flying into the gym door. She then looked at her and casually knocked down the three. I've been a fan ever since.

Paige has a large fanbase but I don't know if it's the same as CC's where there are racist trolls masquerading as fans trying to make everything weird, especially considering Paige's family make up.

I want her in LA. Her, Rickea and Cam would be an incredible core and they have Dearica with them as their lead vet.

Showtime returns to Los Angeles they'll say

MrDollarBills wrote:I want her in LA. Her, Rickea and Cam would be an incredible core and they have Dearica with them as their lead vet.

Showtime returns to Los Angeles they'll say

I need the commish to rig it so somehow CT gets the 1st overall pick. You don't want to know what I'm willing to do to keep he in the state.

DOT wrote:

MrDollarBills wrote:I want her in LA. Her, Rickea and Cam would be an incredible core and they have Dearica with them as their lead vet.

Showtime returns to Los Angeles they'll say

I need the commish to rig it so somehow CT gets the 1st overall pick. You don't want to know what I'm willing to do to keep he in the state.

Well, this is Cathy we are talking about here. Expect disappointment

MrDollarBills wrote:

DOT wrote:

MrDollarBills wrote:I want her in LA. Her, Rickea and Cam would be an incredible core and they have Dearica with them as their lead vet.

Showtime returns to Los Angeles they'll say

I need the commish to rig it so somehow CT gets the 1st overall pick. You don't want to know what I'm willing to do to keep he in the state.

Well, this is Cathy we are talking about here. Expect disappointment

I know it's not happening lol

But a guy can dream. I'll be happy with an NCAA championship this year though, she'd be the best player to never win one for us (Phee won her freshman year as a 17 mpg backup, that was our last title).