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With the WNBA’s 30^th season tipping off this weekend, we look more closely at the sport’s recent growth and potential for the future. The WNBA has enjoyed an influx of college stardom in recent years, including Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and now Azzi Fudd arriving in 2026. Clark and Reese joined the WNBA as rookies in the 2024 season and provided an immediate boost. In 2024, the WNBA saw the largest single-year increase in fans of any sport tracked on Sports Poll since 1994. The league maintained those gains in 2025. There are now 18.5 million more fans and 3.1 million more avid fans compared to 2023.

A big reason for the growth is the appeal of Caitlin Clark. She ranks as the WNBA’s favorite player and has raised the league’s “star power”: 4.1 million more Americans said a WNBA player was their favorite overall athlete in 2025 compared to 2023. Clark accounted for nearly two-thirds of those mentions. As impressive as recent gains are for the WNBA, there is still room to grow. Fandom and avid fandom were essentially flat in 2025, and the WNBA still doesn’t resonate yet as a favorite sport with Americans (1% name it as their favorite).

There is optimism for this season though. After missing most of last season, Clark is healthy and all 44 of the Indiana Fever’s games will be on national TV. Fudd joins Bueckers on the Dallas Wings to give the team two stars with established fan bases from their college days at UConn. Rookie Flau’jae Johnson provides crossover appeal with her successful music career. The league is also adding two expansion teams in Toronto and Portland this season. Sports Poll will be watching to see how these changes impact fandom in 2026.

For more information on the WNBA and the other 80+ sports we track, reach out to us.

Sports Poll by SSRS is conducted continuously throughout the year and includes a nationally representative sample of more than 24,000 Americans each year.

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