The 2024 WNBA Finals was a whirlwind to say the least.
All five games between the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx involved numerous lead changes and a continuous back-and-forth battle all the way up to the wire. This wasn’t the teams first time seeing each other this year, as they faced off for the Commissioner Cup in New York City.
Minnesota took the inseason cup home, however, New York took home the finals championship this past week.
Many NBA players such as Damion Lillard, Lebron James, and Ja Morant were amongst the people tweeting about game 5, but specifically about the controversial foul call that secured Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty’s power forward, two free throws to secure the win. Although these tweets “negativity” attacked the officiating of the game, they brought attention and eyes to the WNBA like never before.
The WNBA has a good problem going for them, that is the tickets are harder to come by and more expensive than ever. A significant rise in ticket prices for both regular and postseason games is something the league has never seen before.
Forbes Magazine records stated “that ticket prices for finals games this year are up 43% over last season’s series.” In previous years, there was not the fanbase nor attention circulating the WNBA, making accessibility to tickets easy and prices low.
A fan told Front Office Sports about the change in prices, claiming that, “Last October, my friends and I each spent $60 including fees for nosebleed tickets to Game 4 of the WNBA Finals at the Barclays Center, where the Aces raised their second straight trophy.”
The fan later went on to state that this far from what tickets prices are today as the fan said “On Sunday afternoon [the day of the game], the cheapest single ticket for Game 5 in Brooklyn on the same ticket platform was $148 including fees, and the least expensive pair of tickets was listed at $176 apiece including fees.” This significant change in price shows a high demand for WNBA tickets, which is great for the players who’ve been waiting for their hard work to be appreciated for years.
Along with ticket prices, viewership hit an all time high this playoff run.
Sports Business Journal records an average of 1 million viewers per game for the finals. They also stated that the average is 131% higher than viewers for the 2023 WNBA finals. Not only are people attending the game physically more, but they are also watching the game online and on T.V. like never before.
This new appreciation for the WNBA will hopefully translate into an increase in WNBA players salaries.
As many in the basketball community know, player salaries are a major problem in the league. However, with a new media rights deal signed this past season, the hope for viewership and salaries to rise even more is high. The deal entails a partnership with Amazon, Disney, and NBC who are all big time companies. ESPN estimates “the deal is valued at about $2.2 billion, or $200 million per year.” This deal not only allows for the players to make more money than ever before, but more importantly, allows games to be broadcasted on top level programs, increasing accessibility.
The 2024 WNBA playoffs turnout helped WNBA in many ways but most importantly it set an example for what the league can look like when it is treated with respect and appreciation. Players have fought for years to get this type of support for their sport and this is just the beginning. As Holly Rowe said in the postgame interview of game 5, “This is what happens when you invest in women…The future is ours if we just build it.”
