WNBA

The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) is a U.S.-based women’s basketball league that started play with eight teams in 1997. The league has since expanded to 12 teams this season, with two more expansion franchises expected to join in the coming seasons. Cathy Engelbert, previously the CEO of Deloitte, has been the WNBA’s commissioner since 2019, and the league's current media partners include Prime Video, Ion, ESPN and CBS Sports.

The WNBA’s regular season runs from May to September, which includes an in-season tournament called the Commissioner’s Cup. The W’s three-round playoffs culminate in the WNBA Finals, a best-of-five series to determine the season champion.

The WNBA’s 2023 campaign was the league’s most-watched regular season in over 20 years, and its highest attended in 13 year. In 2024, that growth has been boosted by a star-studded 2024 rookie class headlined by Indiana’s Caitlin Clark, Chicago’s Angel Reese and Los Angeles’ Cameron Brink.

In Sportico’s inaugural WNBA valuations, the Las Vegas Aces were the highest-valued franchise among the 12 active teams at $140 million, and the Atlanta Dream were the lowest at $55 million. The average WNBA franchise was worth an estimated $96 million.