WNBA breaks 23-year-old regular-season attendance record, Golden State Valkyries help drive growth

Yahoo

8 hours ago

The WNBA broke a 23-year-old regular-season attendance record this past Friday, as first reported by Front Office Sports. There are still three more weeks before the league calendar turns to the postseason.
It took 215 games this year for the league to break its single-season total attendance record, which was set back in 2002. That year, the W totaled 2,364,736 fans in attendance at a combined 256 games, according to data from Across the Timeline.
As of Wednesday afternoon, 226 WNBA games have been played in 2025, and 2,488,011 fans have already attended.
The introduction of the Golden State Valkyries — an expansion franchise and the W's 13th team — has played a role in the league taking another step forward in popularity. Playing in San Francisco's Chase Center, which also hosts the NBA's Golden State Warriors, the Valkyries have sold out all 17 of their home games so far, pulling in a league-best average of 18,064 fans.
Under head coach Natalie Nakase, the Valkyries have vastly exceeded expectations in Year 1. They are currently 18-17, sitting in seventh place of the league standings with a shot at a playoff push. Golden State has stayed afloat, even after losing All-Star forward Kayla Thornton for the season last month.
While the addition of the Valkyries has helped the W's numbers, it's important to note that the league's previous total attendance record was set when there were 16 teams.
Behind Golden State on this year's WNBA average attendance leaderboard is the Indiana Fever, according to the same data set from Across the Timeline. The Fever have averaged approximately 16,747 fans in 2025. Indiana has remained popular despite superstar Caitlin Clark being sidelined with four different muscle injuries that have limited her to 13 games played, the latest a right groin issue that has kept her out since July 15.
Still a fan magnet, the Fever have drawn large crowds on the road, too. For instance, the Connecticut Sun played in and sold out Boston's TD Garden — home of the NBA's Boston Celtics and NHL's Boston Bruins — for a game against the Fever earlier this season.
The Fever were the only team in the league to average north of 13,000 fans last season, but this year they're one of three averaging at least 16,400 fans, according to Across the Timeline. They're joined by the Valkyries and the New York Liberty.
The Liberty have seen a 29% increase in average attendance from last season, a 32-win campaign that ended in the franchise's first-ever WNBA championship. While New York has dealt with injuries to former league MVPs, first center Jonquel Jones and now forward Breanna Stewart, they are still poised to return to the playoffs.
Only two of the 13 WNBA teams — the Atlanta Dream and Washington Mystics — are averaging fewer than 7,500 fans this year, per Across the Timeline, which reports that seven teams are averaging at least 10,000 fans in 2025.
The WNBA is on the rise, and its attendance numbers reflect that growth.