Coming hot off what is unarguably the most progressive regular season in Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) history, the league’s playoffs have begun to kick up some serious dust in mainstream sports media.
For years the WNBA has struggled to move the same momentum that other national and professional sports leagues have done regularly. Maybe it had to do with the lack of widespread advertisement, intrigue or both. Or, perhaps this is more likely, the league simply lacked a face.
There are WNBA legends who changed the game of basketball for women, no doubt. Maya Moore, Cheryl Ford and Lisa Leslie are all pioneers, just to name a few. But they never quite pushed the league into mainstream relevancy.
But something has clicked within the last year. WNBA stadiums have gone from half-empty to brimming full. Coverage from worldwide sports conglomerates such as ESPN and SportsCenter has tripled over.
Much, if not all of this positive movement goes back to the 2024 draft class. Headlined by the indomitable Caitlin Clark, the WNBA’s newest class of rookies shot onto the scene with an unprecedented popularity.
Not only has this meant more attention for them, but previously established league mainstays have benefited, too.
Take A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces, for example. Wilson, given the WNBA’s newfound draw, has been given her long-deserved flowers as one of the most impactful veterans in the league. She, along with partner-in-crime Kelsey Plum, have led the Aces to a 27-13 overall record and a four seed in the playoffs.
Said playoffs, having just gotten underway, serve as the perfect metric for the meteoric growth the league has seen this year. First round matchups are being featured on ESPN nightly, featuring a packed house full of new and old fans alike, boring down over many players who are getting their first stint in the limelight.
As far as the games go, the New York Liberty have the best record in the league. Led by former collegiate phenom Sabrina Ionescu and star forward Breanna Stewart, they’re the first-seeded favorites to take home the title.
Trailing closely behind the Liberty are the Minnesota Lynx and the Connecticut Sun, seeded at two and three respectively. Either team could potentially punch-up and challenge the Liberty for the trophy, and that isn’t even considered the aforementioned Aces at the fourth spot.
Irregardless of who actually comes out on top this year, the celebration will undoubtedly be unlike anything the league has yet seen.
Will the WNBA be able to maintain the growth? It’s hard to tell.
A lot of that is going to come down to who’s stewing on the college level now, whether or not another Caitlin Clark is waiting somewhere to break out. It isn’t a guarantee, but proprietors and resilient fans of the women’s league couldn’t have asked for a much better start in regards to their game taking the next step.
In the end, it all comes down to a love for basketball that everyone in this circle of relevance shares. If you consider yourself a part of that yet refuse to take part in what’s happening on the women’s side of things, you may as well step outside the boundaries. Basketball is greater than any errant line drawn within it, and the WNBA’s current rise is one of many instances actively proving that.
