I bear in mind going to my first WNBA sport, again within the day when nobody fairly knew what to make of a girls’s skilled basketball league. It was an Los Angeles Sparks sport on the Discussion board in Inglewood, CA, and hall-of-famer Lisa Leslie was the star of the present. The Sparks misplaced that night time, however what was sure was that the WNBA had a loyal fan base, and the expertise of the sport, from the music, to the fan camaraderie, to the halftime dance performances (one yr I made it to heart court docket) — supplied a deep sense of neighborhood.
Since then, the Sparks have received three WNBA championships (after relocating to Staples Middle), and the league as an entire, inside this final yr, has skilled unprecedented development, with ticket gross sales and game-day attendance skyrocketing. In different phrases, the WNBA is up, however I can not assist however take into consideration the rising prices of ticket costs, and the way OG followers are being priced out of the sport. Have you ever seen these ticket costs recently? The typical price is up 43 % year-over-year in 2025, climbing from $122 in 2024 to $173 in 2025, according to Victory Live, a market evaluation agency.
Since court docket superstars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese joined the WNBA league, girls’s skilled basketball skilled its greatest positive aspects in visibility, rankings, and followers in attendance. Whereas an thrilling time for the game for present and former gamers to see what they labored for lastly come to fruition, OG ticket holders have complained (and, rightfully so) concerning the rise of bandwagon followers, leading to higher-priced tickets for a lot of and a much less pleasant atmosphere for some.
A Altering Dynamic
“I’ve been a fan since day one when the league obtained began. I like basketball and it is my favourite sport to play, watch, and coach,” says licensed OG WNBA fan, Temprah Harris from the Bay Space. “It is superb to see the place the league is at present in comparison with when the league first began in 1997. Nevertheless, this new WNBA visibility and publicity have performed a giant half within the ticket costs growing.”
The WNBA reported record attendance last season, with a complete of over 2.3 million followers attending video games, in addition to promoting out 154 video games. This improve of WNBA viewership may be attributed to what has been dubbed the Caitlin Clark impact, or the Angel Reese impact, which capitalized on the rivalry between these two gamers from their collegiate days after which getting into the WNBA draft throughout their rookie season.
Out of that, stemmed the bandwagon fan effect, the place new followers all of a sudden took an interest within the sport and in attending the video games. Whereas development is normally one thing to have fun, the rise in ticket prices and altering atmosphere has induced rigidity between OGs and newbies.
“I really feel for us, unique followers of the league. On the video games, I can inform who’s a long-time loyal fan, and who’s a bandwagon fan,” says Harris. In line with her, bandwagon followers are inclined to cheer for one particular participant with no information of the complete roster. They appear to solely present up when a group has been on a successful streak. Whereas “us OG followers, we present up and help it doesn’t matter what. We all know our group historical past, help our gamers, and training workers. Through the sport, OG followers can speak smack whereas additionally sharing group stats and information. Newer followers cannot interact in the identical method, and do not at all times know what is going on on.”
Even the gamers are anxious concerning the shift in fandom. “There are newer followers now attempting to hop on a bandwagon, so it is arduous to decipher between people who find themselves genuinely attempting to uplift us and people who find themselves simply attempting to hop on — and it is unlucky, particularly with the ticket costs going up for the unique followers,” says Shakira Austin, WNBA participant for Washington Mystics, who just lately partnered with Tylenol by way of their sponsorship of the Women’s Sports Foundation’s ‘Athlete Recovery and Care Commitment Grant.
Austin notes that even her circle of relatives of die-hard WNBA supporters would not have the ability to attend a few of her video games at present if it weren’t for group perks. “My household would wrestle to get a few of these tickets if we did not have our personal tickets to provide out in order that they may attend. Even the resellers are shopping for up all of the seats, and now a nosebleed seat may be an upward of $700 a ticket,” Austin says.
With the inflow of recent followers, there’s additionally been heightened security concern. Final season, WNBA gamers reported in-person harassment and threats that have been racist, sexist, and homophobic. “There have been individuals who name themselves followers, and but they’ve destroyed our sport and what’s our secure house. Whereas it has been nice to have the publicity and for our sport to lastly get some recognition, nevertheless, it should not include this hatred the place we as gamers do not feel secure — bodily or psychologically,” Austin says.
The league addressed this harassment by releasing a statement, ushering in charter flights for some groups, in addition to growing the presence of safety on the video games. “It is necessary to benefit from the sport in a welcoming, secure, and enjoyable atmosphere, for the followers and particularly for the gamers,” Harris says.
What Does This Imply For the Way forward for the League?
The reality is: change is sweet. League growth is expected to continue with future team expansion in three cities, together with the Golden State Valkyries and the Toronto Tempo, which would be the first non-US metropolis, taking the whole variety of WNBA groups to 16 by 2028. Regardless of the issues round price and security, everybody we spoke to agrees that the growth and funding remains to be price celebrating.
“Including extra groups is thrilling, and this permits extra gamers to check out for a WNBA group. We’re prepared for these superb girls to be acknowledged for his or her abilities and receive great pay and benefits,” Harris says.
In the end, increasing the league shall be necessary for future sustainability. However let’s hope the WNBA can discover higher methods to maintain the tickets reasonably priced and the atmosphere secure in order that OG followers, together with the rising newer fan base, can get pleasure from popping out to see these girls play on the highest stage. All of us need to do our half, too — in bringing our greatest selves out to the video games.
“I am trying ahead to the season, and I would like the expertise to be pleasant for the true, real followers that help us,” Austin says. As Harris awaits the season opener on Might 16, together with her tickets and game-day match prepared, she expresses an analogous sentiment. Regardless of the entire change, “this season would be the finest one but.”
Ralinda Watts is an writer, variety skilled, marketing consultant, practitioner, speaker, and confirmed thought chief who works on the intersection of race, identification, tradition, and justice. She has contributed to quite a few publications equivalent to PS, CBS Media, Medium, YahooLifestyle, and the Los Angeles Instances.