There’s no question that the WNBA’s popularity has surged since Caitlin Clark entered the league last year, and attendance data backs that up. On Wednesday, the league surpassed its all-time single-season attendance record of 2.501 million fans, a mark that had stood since 2002. The record was set across 226 games—30 fewer than the number of games played in 2002.
The league also hit the record with several weeks remaining in the regular season.
A major factor in the attendance surge appears to be the addition of the Golden State Valkyries, who led the league with an average of 18,064 fans per game and reportedly sold out every home game this season. Clark’s Indiana Fever rank No. 2 in attendance, just ahead of the New York Liberty. The Fever have averaged 16,746 fans per game, while the Liberty average 16,425.
In 2002, when the league had 16 teams, only four teams averaged more than 10,000 fans per game. A decade ago, no team averaged more than 10,000. This season, seven of the league’s 13 teams have averaged over 10,000 per game.
The 2024 season posted a 48% attendance increase over 2023.
