For over 20 years, giants owned WNBA courts.
Peak had nothing to do with it. For the higher a part of 20 years, gamers equivalent to Sue Chook, Maya Moore, Candace Parker, Sylvia Fowles and Diana Taurasi dominated. They cornered the WNBA title market, accounting for 13 championships between 2004, when Chook gained her first with the Storm, and 2021, when Parker led the Sky previous Taurasi’s Mercury.
During the last six years, their swan songs got here in succession.
Unofficially, Moore was first after she selected to step away from the sport in 2019 earlier than formally retiring in 2023. Subsequent got here Chook’s and Fowles’ retirement tour in 2022. In 2024, Parker broke her retirement information with a goodbye letter to the sport she posted on social media the day coaching camp began.
On Tuesday, Taurasi bid the sport farewell, formally signaling a brand new period for the league.
“I don’t assume something modifications for us,” stated Alyssa Thomas, the Mercury’s latest ahead.
For gamers equivalent to Thomas, who’ve been nipping on the heels of the aforementioned greats — making historical past of their very own within the course of — the 2025 season is simply one other in pursuit of the last word objective. However the league will now relaxation firmly of their palms.
That may not change something for them, however it modifications the whole lot for the WNBA.
Thomas — who performed within the final six semifinals or Finals — is simply one of many league’s new torchbearers in Taurasi’s absence. The final three WNBA Finals supply one of the best glimpse at who else is main the league into its new period.
Younger stars equivalent to 2024 Rookie of the Yr Caitlin Clark and the Sky’s Angel Reese are spearheading the WNBA’s launch into the mainstream. However there’s nonetheless a category above them on the helm.
Three-time MVP A’ja Wilson — drafted with the primary choose in 2018 — led the Aces to back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, they edged Thomas’ Solar. In 2023, after signing Parker in free company, the Aces beat the Liberty, led by two-time MVP Breanna Stewart, in 4 video games. It was Parker’s ultimate season.
In 2024, Stewart helped ship the Liberty their first WNBA title, narrowly making it previous Napheesa Collier’s Lynx.
Heading into the 2025 season, Collier — who completed second to Wilson in MVP voting final yr — seems to be poised to steer her staff again to the Finals. Contemplating the Liberty return their total postseason beginning 5, a rematch may very well be within the playing cards.
In Phoenix, Thomas’ addition in free company places the Mercury within the dialog when mixed with their acquisition of two-time All-Star Satou Sabally. So long as the Aces have Wilson, they’ve a shot.
Then, there’s the Fever, who, with Clark and fellow No. 1 choose Aliyah Boston, have constructed a behemoth with 2023 Coach of the Yr Stephanie White in cost.
The WNBA has by no means been in a greater place talent- and business-wise. The 2024 WNBA Draft was the most-viewed ever. The common season was the identical throughout ESPN platforms. The 2024 WNBA Finals’ 1.6 million viewers had been probably the most in 25 years. Midway by the season, the league introduced a historic 11-year media-rights take care of Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon valued at $200 million per season.
Consequently, the WNBPA opted out of its collective-bargaining settlement and is within the midst of negotiations for a brand new one that may must be ratified earlier than 2026 to keep away from a lockout.
All of it is a direct results of the careers of gamers equivalent to Chook, Moore, Fowles, Parker and Taurasi. Now that they’re gone, the present stars have an identical objective.
“To depart it higher than you discovered it,” WNBA champion and Olympic gold medalist Ariel Atkins stated. “Throughout the board as a W participant, a part of the sisterhood, the objective is to develop it and make it higher for the following technology.”
A part of these viewership statistics are a credit score to the accessibility of video games. Disney platforms featured 25 video games, together with 9 on ABC and 14 on ESPN. CBS and Paramount+ telecast eight video games, CBS Sports activities Community had 12 and NBA TV carried 43.
The Fever had 36 of their 40 video games featured on nationwide broadcasts. Unequalled, a brand new three-on-three league co-founded by Collier and Stewart, inked a multiyear partnership with TNT Sports activities, which options over 45 prime-time video games and made all video games accessible on streaming service Max.
The star energy of the league’s pioneers eclipsed the period through which they performed. Due to them, this new period can shine brighter.
Nonetheless, it’s arduous to not take into account how the mainstream visibility the ladies’s recreation is lastly receiving would have elevated the profile of previous WNBA heavyweights.
“There are such a lot of folks, if they might have had the eyes, the issues that Clark is doing now, we might have already seen it,” Lynx guard Courtney Williams stated. “As soon as you set a digicam in entrance of everybody’s face, we’re getting the protection we all know we’ve been needing. You’re seeing all people that loves basketball locking in.
“Now that we now have folks’s consideration, the cameras are on, that’s what you’re seeing. The folks exhibiting up and the folks supporting.”
