WNBA at 30: The League That Refused to Fail
June 21, 1997. Opening Night.
WNBA founding teams (1997)
8
WNBA teams in 2026
16 (two new: Toronto Tempo, Portland)
Average WNBA attendance per game 1997
9,800
Average WNBA attendance per game 2025
11,700 (all-time record)
Indiana Fever single-season home attendance 2024
340,715 (new record)
WNBA national TV deal value increase 2025 CBA
more than 300 percent
Caitlin Clark career PPG average entering All-Star 2026
21.0
Why 2026 Is Different
The WNBA's 30th season opened on May 8 in Chicago, and almost nothing about it resembled 1997 except the ball. The league has a transformational new collective bargaining agreement signed in March 2026, the first to include a revenue-sharing model, with significant salary increases across every roster tier. Two new franchises launched this year: the Toronto Tempo, the league's first Canadian team, and Portland, bringing the league to 16 teams for the first time. The national television deal that kicks in this season pays the league more than 300 percent above what the previous deal paid. Sellouts that were once occasional are now routine. The sport that nearly nobody invested in for a decade is now one of the fastest-growing brands in American sports.
The Jump Shot Heard Everywhere.
The Drive That Does Not Stop.
A Sold-Out Arena Is Now the Baseline.
The Numbers Behind the Clark Effect
Caitlin Clark was drafted first overall by the Indiana Fever in April 2024 and has done things in the league with a speed that has no precedent. In 59 career games she registered her 500th assist, shattering the record for the fastest player to reach that mark. She scored the first 45-point, 10-assist game in WNBA history. Entering the 2026 All-Star Game she averages a career-high 21.0 points per game. Her presence has driven the Fever to sell out nearly every home game and has catalysed a broader shift in how the sport is covered, discussed, and watched. The argument was always that a great enough player would transform women's basketball. Clark arrived to test it.
The 2026 All-Star Game returned to Chicago's United Center on July 25, the first time the city has hosted since the league's early years. The format honoured the 30th anniversary: WNBA legends Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon drafted the squads, named Team Coop and Team Spoon. Tyla headlined the halftime show, becoming the first international artist to headline the WNBA All-Star halftime in the event's 28-year history. The game tipped off at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Where the WNBA stands after 30 years. Founded 1997 with 8 teams and a borrowed primetime slot on Lifetime. The league has survived two rival leagues folding, a global pandemic, seasons played in a bubble, three ownership restructurings, and years of low salaries that sent most stars to play in Europe in the offseason. It is still here, and it is growing faster than at any point in its history.
What the new CBA changes. The March 2026 agreement is the first in WNBA history to include a revenue-sharing model tied to league performance. Base salaries rise significantly across all roster tiers. Enhanced travel standards, charter flights for all teams (already piloted in 2025), improved medical coverage, and a parental leave structure are part of the deal. The players association called it "a new era."
"It is pretty incredible to see how far this league has come in 30 years. It makes me really excited for the future of the WNBA, how much it is going to continue to grow.
"Caitlin Clark
WNBA champions in the last 4 seasons
Las Vegas Aces (3 of 4)
Most decorated USA Basketball player ever
Breanna Stewart
First WNBA player to score 500 career assists in under 60 games
Caitlin Clark
Season the WNBA first chartered flights for all teams
2025
Players who competed in WNBA and then EuroLeague offseasons historically
most stars
Year the WNBA introduced its first Canadian franchise
2026 (Toronto Tempo)
