The WNBA has seen an incredible surge in popularity and this is reflected in the financial statistics. The league is ahead of both the NFL and the NBA in one big financial metric.
The last couple of years have changed the game for the WNBA. For years, there was talk of women’s basketball not getting the love and attention it deserves. Now, suddenly, they’re getting it.
The league’s growth has been nothing short of spectacular, and they are now earning mentions alongside behemoths like the NFL and the NBA. Naturally, they’re not quite close to that level yet.
However, when it comes to rate of growth, the W is leaving every other league behind. Since 2024, when stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese entered the picture, the numbers are staggering.
The WNBA’s average value-to-revenue multiple is higher than the NFL and the NBA
The newest numbers are out in terms of average value, average revenue, and the average value-to-revenue multiple for all the major leagues.
An average value-to-revenue multiple is a financial metric used to estimate a company’s total worth by dividing its total value by its yearly sales or revenue. And the WNBA is No. 1 when it comes to this metric.
Sportico’s 2026 data shows that the WNBA has an average franchise value of $427 million, average revenue of $31.5 million, and an average value-to-revenue multiple of 13.6x.
The NBA has an average franchise value of $5.51 billion, average revenue of $408 million, and a 13.5x value-to-revenue multiple. The NFL leads the three leagues in average franchise value at $9.34 billion, with average revenue of $733 million and a 12.7x value-to-revenue multiple.
What this signifies is that the value of the W’s franchises is going up significantly, even beyond just the increased revenue. A lot of this has to do with the league’s biggest stars.
Year-on-year growth numbers since 2024 show impact of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and other stars
In the 2024 reports, the average value of a WNBA franchise was $96 million. Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were drafted in April, 2024. The very next year, that number soared to $269 million, which is 180.2 percent growth.
According to the 2026 numbers, the average value of a franchise is now $427 million. That’s another significant increase of 58.7 percent. In this three-year span, revenue has also increased from $13 million to $31.5 million.
It’s safe to say that Clark and Reese, along with younger superstars like Paige Bueckers and Olivia Miles have contributed significantly to this. But the league’s best players have managed to capture the audience’s imagination as well.
Clark missed most of the 2025 WNBA season, and while the growth was less explosive, it was still significant. So it’s not just about her. The league needs to capitalise on this and as they say, make hay while the sun shines.
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