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You don’t have to be a fan of the WNBA to have noticed its rise in popularity over the past few years. Game attendance is at an all-time high since the 1990s and viewership is up 183 percent from last season, per ESPN. It’s remarkable, to say the least. But I didn’t realize just how much until I attended a NY Liberty game against the Chicago Sky last month. As a sat alongside fellow fans, I noticed among me a much younger demographic than I’d expected. I saw young girls, teens and tweens, on the edge of their seats, waiting for the players to hit the court. Some proudly donned Sabrina Ionescu jerseys, while others wore bright, graphic tees featuring mascot sensation, Ellie the Elephant. Some were there just for Angel Reese, rocking replicas of her number 5 jersey and shrieking when they spotted the Chi-Town barbie during warm-ups.
The truth is, WNBA fan base has one of the largest proportions of young fans among major American sports leagues. Those aged 18-34 make up 47 percent of WNBA fans and nearly half of WNBA fans are women, according to YouGov research. And the best part? The rise in popularity seems to be encouraging young girls to get into and stick with the sport.
At the Boys and Girls Club in Whittier, California, The Mamba League, a basketball club for those ranging from third to eighth grade, has become increasingly popular. “At first a lot of boys were very interested, but because of the rise of the WNBA, we’ve been having higher members who are girls, to come in and play for us,” says Samantha Robles, the teen director for the Boys and Girls Club of Whittier and Pico Rivera. There’s also been an influx of requests for girls-only basketball leagues, says Eric Osborne, senior director of sports & e-sports at Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
“To teens it’s given us the opportunity to really see our role models grow and know that we can become them one day if we put our mind to it.”
The kids aren’t just playing ball; they’re talking about it too. “It’s become so popular,” says Kanessa, 16, a member of BGC of the Valley. While she hasn’t been able to attend a game in person, she and her friends watch clips and highlights of the players on social media. Kanessa’s favorite player: Brittney Griner. The 16-year-old tells PS that it was BG’s captivity in Russia and journey back to the league, that caught her attention and brought it to the WNBA. Prior to that, she was solely an NBA fan.
“People say, ‘Oh, well, girls can’t do this,’ like they need to stay at home and cook and stuff, and they’re not strong enough and stuff,” she says. But in watching Griner and tuning into the W as a whole, she learned the exact opposite. “[The WNBA] empowers women to do stuff like that — that they can do stuff like that. And I think it’s really like, cool.”
Hailie, a fan of Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, echoes a similar sentiment. The senior in high school has been playing basketball her whole life. But she first got into the WNBA during her freshman year. Watching the W become more popular has been inspirational Hailie tells PS, because it signals “opportunity” to her and her teammates.
“Really, nothing is impossible if you really set your mind to it,” Hailie says has been her biggest takeaway from watching the players stand by the league and watch it evolve.
“To teens it’s given us the opportunity to really see our role models grow and know that we can become them one day if we put our mind to it,” she says. In a society where by age 14, girls are dropping out of sports at two times the rate of boys due to lack of access, social stigma, cost, and lack of positive role models, establishing a positive notion for what’s possible becomes crucial.
As for Hailie’s future ambition to play pro-ball, it exists as an option — and that’s in part thanks to the WNBA. “I’m open to it,” she tells PS. “It’s not something I would say no to.”
Alexis Jones is the senior health and fitness editor at PS. Her passions and areas of expertise include women’s health and fitness, mental health, racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare, and chronic conditions. Prior to joining PS, she was the senior editor at Health magazine. Her other bylines can be found at Women’s Health, Prevention, Marie Claire, and more.