WNBA Ticket Sales Explode 145% Ahead Of 2025 Season — And We’re Here For Every Moment – Essence
Men lie, women lie, but numbers don’t.
And the numbers ahead of the upcoming WNBA season tell a story that *we* (Black women) have anticipated —and patiently waited — for years.
StubHub’s 2025 WNBA Season Preview reveals ticket sales have surged by a whopping 145% compared to last season, which means we must put some respect on the name and game of women’s basketball.
For years, critics questioned the commercial viability of women’s sports but over the years we’ve seen this consistently and steadily changing. And it’s not just one team — all twelve returning WNBA teams are experiencing growth, and first-time WNBA ticket buyers have increased 28% from the same period last year. The league is also expanding its international appeal, with fans from 29 different countries purchasing WNBA tickets, which is more than double last year’s reach of 12 countries.
The Indiana Fever stand at the forefront of this basketball revolution, thanks in large part to Caitlin Clark’s presence. After her headline-grabbing rookie season, Clark alongside teammates Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston have catapulted Fever ticket sales to nearly six times (497%) their previous level. This unprecedented demand has forced some opposing teams to relocate games to larger venues simply to accommodate the crowds.
The road game phenomenon is also putting up numbers. Fever away games account for nine of StubHub’s top ten best-selling matchups this season. Their July 15 visit to the Connecticut Sun ranks as the most in-demand game, followed by their June 7 matchup against the Chicago Sky.
While Clark is one of the players this season dominating headlines, she’s not alone in driving this WNBA resurgence. Paige Bueckers, whose March Madness performances had everyone talking, has also helped boost the Dallas Wings to new heights. Their ticket sales have jumped 4.5 times over last season, and combined with established star Arike Ogunbowale’s scoring prowess, the Wings have secured the fifth spot on StubHub’s list of most in-demand teams.
“The momentum behind women’s sports has never been stronger, and this year’s WNBA season is a prime example,” according to Adam Budelli, spokesperson for StubHub. “New stars like Paige Bueckers, alongside stars A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and 2024 Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark, are driving record-breaking demand with the highest pre-season sales in StubHub’s history for the league.”
The expansion Golden State Valkyries – the league’s first new franchise since 2008 – enter a dramatically different landscape than expansion teams of the past. Their most anticipated home game falls on June 19 against Clark and the Fever.
Which, for context, StubHub’s top five most in-demand teams ranks as follows: Indiana Fever, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, New York Liberty, and Dallas Wings.
This is really and truly a victory for us all. After decades of world-class basketball played in under-attended arenas, with limited media coverage and persistent skepticism about commercial potential, the league appears to have reached a tipping point. Generational talents finally have the platform through both traditional and social media to showcase their skills directly to fans, and we love to see every part of it.
Not to mention, as the May tip-off approaches, we’re seeing persistent narratives about women’s sports lacking commercial appeal face overwhelming contrary evidence showing that the 2025 WNBA season won’t just break records for attendance and viewership, but also shift culturally into mainstream sports culture.
