Sue Bird hopes that when she’s in her 50s and 60s, she can have a voice on television like a former NBA player. One model Bird saw in person was Charles Barkley. She remembers hearing the Naismith Hall of Famer talk about his playing career many times on TNT’s “Inside the NBA.”
“He said, ‘Oh, I have to fly commercial. I don’t have these charter flights. Or, ‘Oh, these guys are making $40 million. Like, my contract is only for – I don’t know, $10 million.’ He listens It’s a little dissatisfying,” Bird said on NPR’s Fresh Air last month.
She hopes to one day be able to tell stories from my time. “I always joke, I wish I was that disgruntled athlete, because that means all the blood, sweat and tears were for something,” she said. “It means the game has grown.”
Bird is retiring after the 2022 season after two decades in the WNBA. She hasn’t even been out of the league for a full two years (technically Bird jumped back when she joined the Storm’s ownership group in April), but the league she’ll be watching this summer is already in better shape than she was before. .
As the 28th regular season begins on Tuesday, there are plenty of changes, both major and minor. Over the years, the WNBA has chipped away at areas of growth as Bird and the recently retired Candace Parker graced the hardwood. But now the pace of adjustment is explosive.
“To be honest, the impact of the wave right now is more profound than I thought,” Storm co-owner Lisa Brummel said. “This has to be a bigger wave, faster than I thought we had. It was much faster than expected and wow I will say it felt great.
“Expansion is always in the design. The time has come for investment to match, and finally, we are able to bring these ideas to life.”
—@chiney About the growth of WNBA📈 pic.twitter.com/Y6egBKMcgY
– Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 10, 2024
Television ratings for women’s basketball have skyrocketed. April’s WNBA draft averaged a record 2.47 million viewers, a 307% increase from last year and the most-watched WNBA telecast since 2000. The first preseason game was not broadcast on traditional television, but more than 500,000 viewers tuned in to a live call from a resourceful fan. That seems to be a sign of what’s to come when the regular season begins on Tuesday.
“It’s growing so fast,” Minnesota Lynx coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve said. “It’s so fast. I’ve been saying within our own organization that business as usual is not going to work anymore.
Early ratings returns reflect the growing connection between the college and professional games. Cardozo and the South Carolina Gamecocks defeated Caitlin Clark and the Iowa State Hawkeyes in the 2024 national championship, averaging 18.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched women’s college basketball game of all time as well as watching The most played basketball games (men’s or women’s) since 2019, with a 121% increase in the number of games played in 2023.
The WNBA’s attendance continues to grow as a slew of high-profile prospects enter the league. No team has ever sold out season ticket packages during the offseason, but three teams did it this year (Las Vegas, Atlanta and Dallas). Three games were also moved to larger venues to accommodate more fans who wanted to see Clark play.
The way players participate in these tournaments will also change. WNBA commissioner Casey Engelbert announced last week that the league plans to add full-time charter flights at some point this season. The news comes as the league’s existing franchise policy appears increasingly untenable in the long term.
deeper
WNBA to add full-day charter flights this season
Clark and her Indiana Fever teammates flew on a commercial airline to Dallas for their first preseason game and were greeted by some fans and media members. According to a spokesperson for the team, they encountered no travel or safety issues on their first road trip of the year. But a video clip showing Clark and center Aaliyah Boston passing through a baggage carousel with a member of the organization’s security team on hand has garnered more than 2 million views. It reminds them of their current situation.
Engelbert did not specify when the full charter plan would be implemented. She said the new travel program would cost about $25 million per year over the next two seasons and would be launched “as soon as we are logistically able to get aircraft to their destinations.” Still, news of a private tour is cause for celebration.
Bobcats guard Kayla McBride called the change “a breath of fresh air.” Minnesota forward Nafessa Collier noted that as women’s basketball viewership increases, adjustments must be made to protect player privacy.
“All these players in these areas have become so popular that it’s really as much about (security) as it is about recovery,” she said.
Even before Engelbert made the announcement, teams around the league had recognized the importance of enhanced safety. According to a person familiar with the Chicago Sky’s plans, the team will have safe travel this season after not having one last season. As long as standards are maintained, every WNBA team will have security personnel on board its commercial flights.
Sky Sports also has increased security at its training at a public facility in suburban Chicago.Saks Entertainment Center wrote in an email sent by CompetitorIt was revealed to members of its community that two police officers will be on site at all Sky training sessions for the remainder of the season, starting on April 29. They are new this year and the change appears to be driven by the Sky’s desire to increase the safety of its players.
Fever General Manager Lin Dunn said Indiana is taking similar precautions to ensure every member of its franchise is safe when flying commercial flights. A team spokesperson added that in addition to having a full security team at home games, the Fever will have multiple full-time security personnel employed by Pacers Sports and Entertainment at all road games. Several members of their safety team will also be in attendance at secondary team events, just as they were in downtown Indianapolis last week for Indiana’s promotional photo shoot.
These changes reflect a new era in the WNBA. Breanna Stewart, the No. 1 pick in 2016, recalled taking photos and signing autographs at the airport during her rookie season without security personnel present.
The itinerary adjustments reflect our commitment to improving the player experience. The new facility provides another significant boost. By the end of the season, the Storm and Mercury will have opened up new spaces. The Storm debuted a 50,000-square-foot performance center in April, featuring state-of-the-art strength and conditioning equipment, health and wellness suites and an aquatics room – all designed and built by a staff of 85. Percentage of race. The Mercury will be part of one of the largest development projects for a professional sports organization in the country, according to the team. It’s expected to be open by the time they host the All-Star Game in mid-July.
Our new home💚⛈️ pic.twitter.com/DHjRvHFFEFR
— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) April 18, 2024
It’s no surprise, then, that both teams added stars: Seattle signed 2016 league MVP Nneka Ogwumike and four-time WNBA first-team guard Skylar Diggins-Smith, while Phoenix signed The lineup is strengthened by 2021 Finals MVP Kahleah Copper and All.
The Las Vegas Aces have become the first team in 21 years to win back-to-back championships, and they will be on track to achieve a third consecutive championship this summer. Looking forward to a stellar season from their star A’ja Wilson, Nike announced on Saturday that she will be getting her own signature line of sneakers and apparel in 2025. One of the WNBA players and the first WNBA player to have a signature shoe.
All in all, as Engelbert prepared to present a ring to the Aces on Tuesday night, she glowed when she thought about the state of the WNBA. Alliance revenue has reportedly doubled since 2019, and she said they have made “huge investments” through corporate and media partnerships. (The league’s existing media rights agreement with ESPN will end after the 2025 season, and a new CBA could take effect in 2026.) The April draft, held in front of fans for the first time in eight years, felt positive momentum, Engelbert said. , the WNBA “is ready for what’s next.”
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Expanding into new markets is part of the future. A 13th team will begin play in the Bay Area in 2025, while a 14th team will reportedly begin play in 2026 in Toronto.
“We are witnessing a transformative moment in sports that may not be experienced by us for generations,” Engelbert said.
Bird is feeling the extra buzz, too. She said the sport has crossed cultural boundaries. So Bird, 43, may not need another seven years to become a semi-eccentric critic. She may be able to tell stories from the past without even realizing it.
(Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and
