There was definite fan interest and a good relationship between the Spurs and Stars. The city could also serve as a gateway to the shoe companies that keep their headquarters nearby. MVPs: Tina Charles (2012) An unlucky injury for Tennessee star Catchings -- she tore her ACL, which prematurely ended her senior season -- was fortuitous for the Fever. High point: Defeating Minnesota on the Lynx's home court in Game 5 of the 2016 WNBA Finals for the Sparks' third title, and first in 14 years. That said, there's something to be said for perception, and also educated guesses. The three highest earners in the WNBA, including Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury, each received an average of 228.09 thousand U.S. dollars for their . This recent history of the NBA's salary cap tells us again that Cuban's story isn't quite right. This allows more people from different economic backgrounds to attend basketball games. The league currently gets an average of $2.66 billion a year from Walt Disneys ABC and ESPN and AT&Ts Turner Broadcasting. In 2011, 22 of the 30 teams were losing money, and the average operating income per team sat at $6 million. The WNBA has one of the more flexible business models in sports. It sets its own prices and doesn't have a national television contract so it can increase or decrease its exposure by choosing which games to play and when. We have some sort of a fan perspective, sponsorship perspective, social movement perspective, everyones locked in on sort of the value of womens sports.. WNBA career stats leaders: Margo Dydek in blocks (877) and block percentage (8.99); Jennifer Azzi in 3-point field goal percentage (45.8) The franchise took momentum with them to Texas, having had winning records in 2000, 2001 and 2002 and making the playoffs in their last two seasons in Utah. The "Air Jordan" became the face of the franchise when he joined them as a rookie in 1989 and remained with the team until 2003. Low point: Having the distinction of being the only WNBA franchise to never make a playoff appearance. MVPs: Nneka Ogwumike (2016), Candace Parker (2008, 2013), Lisa Leslie (2001, 2004, 2006) 2,$5.6 billion) and the Los Angeles Lakers (No. The Atlanta Dream is changing ownership hands, putting an end to more than a year's worth of controversy under its former co-owner, ex-Senator Kelly Loeffler. Playoff appearances (record): One (0-2) Face of the franchise: Courtney Vandersloot (2011-present) MLSE is developing a comprehensive business strategy to explore opportunities for involvement in all womens professional sports, including basketball, and look forward to working with leagues and partners across the industry as part of that process.. Other notable stars: Essence Carson, Shameka Christon, Becky Hammon, Vickie Johnson, Rebecca Lobo, Betnijah Laney, Tari Phillips, Cappie Pondexter, Crystal Robinson, Tina Charles, Sue Wicks. By far. Franchise journey: After the 2002 season the WNBA was ready for independent ownership outside of NBA franchises, and the Sun were the first to go that route. Abrahams has been told that the rate will be somewhere between $15-20 million, and he says his team has that capital in hand as well as the capital required for annual operating costs. But when she has been on the court, it has made all the difference for the Mystics. Face of the franchise: Dawn Staley (1999-2005) Regular-season record: 72-44 , Apr 5, 2022. So Dallas has its fate in its hands, and could move up quite a lot in the next few years. The Rose City attempted to house a WNBAfranchise for three seasons from 2000-2002, but it failed. The No. But the Wings haven't done much yet, losing single-elimination games in their two playoff appearances. The current record-holder for most points scored in a WNBA game - an astonishing 53 points! Championships: Three (2001, 2002, 2016) This is the perfect time, she said. For example, a citys population, political affiliation and policies, and generational demographics will be factors, Engelbert said, as the league knows it already skews to young and female fans. High point: Avenging a 2016 WNBA Finals loss to the Los Angeles Sparks by winning the 2017 Finals, also against L.A. When the Shock started 0-10 in 2002, former Detroit Pistons star Bill Laimbeer came in as head coach, which began a massive turnaround. Today, a jersey deal is a one of . Franchise journey: The Sol are one of the two "if you blinked, you missed them" franchises in the WNBA, along with Portland. Regular-season record: 37-59 Owners: Jerry Buss Family Trusts, Mark Walter, Todd Boehly, Owners: Wycliffe Grousbeck, Irving Grousbeck, Stephen Pagliuca, Robert Epstein, Owners: Bell Canada, Rogers Communications, Larry Tanenbaum, Owners: Holt family, Sixth Street Partners, Owners: Wes Edens, Marc Lasry, Jamie Dinan, Owners: Clayton Bennett, George Kaiser, Aubrey McClendon estate, Owners: Glen Taylor, Marc Lore, Alex Rodriguez. The Lynx stewed for a year after a heartbreaking one-point loss to the Sparks on Nneka Ogwumike's putback in the 2016 WNBA Finals. New York made the first championship game (before the Finals became a series) in 1997, and then appeared in the Finals three more times. Face of the franchise: Teresa Weatherspoon (1997-2003) League sources said the Liberty were sold with little new money changing hands and new owner Joe Tsai financing the transaction mostly by taking on debt, as well as stipulating fresh capital for MSG Sports if the Liberty hit certain revenue thresholds. The Hornets moved to New Orleans after the 2001-02 NBA season, but the Sting stayed put. They sometimes have to pay to appear on local TV, essentially debiting that outlay as a marketing spend just to air its games in its local market. They already have done their due diligence on such a project. Sources also have connected South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, a Philadelphia native, to the group. Engelbert would not disclose the number of teams projected as profitable for the 2022 season. High point: Beating four-time WNBA champ Houston in the Western Conference semifinals in 2002, before falling to eventual champion Los Angeles. New York has had many great players come through its doors, but no single player has brought more joy to Knicks' fans than Michael Jordan. 1 draft pick in 2009 and led Atlanta to the WNBA Finals in 2010, 2011 and 2013. The main ranking criteria are success and standout players, although franchise longevity played a factor, too. Face of the franchise: Liz Cambage (2011-13) It has just never been the right time. 1. The Lynx resembled their parent organization, the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves, in lack of success. The buyers, Mark Walter and Todd Boehley, have a path to eventually buying out controlling owner Jerry Buss Family Estate at some point in the future. Unlike other professional leagues, like the NFL and NBA, where playoffs are determined by conference or division winners, the WNBAplayoffs are determined by the teams that finish with the top eight records, so adding a single team wouldnt change that much of the equation. That union provided the Sky with their best record (24-10) in 2013 when Delle Donne was Rookie of the Year, and the next season the Sky reached the WNBA Finals, where they were swept by Phoenix. . This makes them the most valuable franchise in all of sports. So that's one year, unprotected, at the . The Raptors are worth a reported $2.74 billion making them the country's most valued sports franchise. But going 3-31 in 2011 in Cambage's rookie season was pretty hellish. Best players: Diamond DeShields, Candace Parker, Allie Quigley, Courtney Vandersloot. We'll never know, but Chicago has had a different kind of dynamic duo in guards -- and spouses -- Vandersloot and Quigley. Franchise investors are looking past the dearth of fanswhich cut average revenue for the leagues 30 teams by 19% from the 2019-20 season, to $214 millionwith eyes on a big rebound: An increasein sponsorship revenue coupled with fans returning to arenas this season should push the leagues revenue to an all-time high of at least $10 billion,10% above the2018-19 campaign, the last full season before the pandemic. And so, Im not using them at all. So I think our newest data is our capital raise and the huge, huge commitment we got from that investor group.. While the average highest listed price is $233. Also in September, the Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers inked patch deals reportedly worth $20 million and more than$10 million per year, respectively. Replacing Catchings has been most difficult for Indiana. The Lynx have been in a talent re-stocking process the last few seasons, but still consistently make the playoffs. The New York Knicks are the most valuable franchise in the NBA, with an estimated value of $4 billion. Try a week on us. In 2003, the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority paid $10 million as an expansion fee for the Connecticut Sun, according to an SEC filing. Fourth is the Los Angeles Sparks. Even if your . It was the first title for the franchise and longtime WNBA coach Mike Thibault. High point: Led by Diggins-Smith, making the playoffs in their second year in Dallas. Lee Berke, an expert in media rights, tells Forbes, My projection is that the NBAs media deals will double in value, thanks in part to a substantial boost in streamed content.. If you look at the NFL, were getting $10.1 billion a year for television and the WNBA is getting $30 million a year. The overall number of games played in the season likely would increase and the Commissioners Cup a regular-season tournament launched by Engelbert in 2021 would require a few adjustments, but adding a single team wouldnt create the same level of unequal play as in other leagues. Revealing those values is taboo across the league. Low point: After winning the Eastern Conference for the first time in 2010, the Mystics lost their coach and general manager when they wanted to combine those jobs into one. Playoff appearances (record): Eight (17-21) February 18, 2023. 2 spot during the 2019-20 season with 10,852 fans per home game. Williams, a two-sport All-American in basketball and volleyball at UCLA, was the Starzz' best player after she came from the ABL, and was also was a Utah native. The next media rights contract will be vital for the league, not only in bringing in more money to each team but also in lifting up franchise values. Face of the franchise: Deanna Nolan (2001-2009) Low point: Failing to follow up their postseason breakthrough, going 13-19 in 2001. Playoff appearances (record): 13 (18-30) On Monday, Sportico released its valuations for every NBA franchise in 2021, and according to their numbers, the three most valuable teams in the league are now worth a combined 15 billion dollars. Championships: None These three teams play in the leagues biggest marketsand under normal circumstances generate the most revenue because of their lucrative local television deals and arenas that produce piles of cash from luxury seating and advertising. Copyright 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc. They got four Hall of Fame players in Cooper, Swoopes, Thompson and Arcain, an experienced, successful coach from the college game in Van Chancellor, committed ownership (at least initially) from the Houston Rockets' Leslie Alexander and an energetic fan base. 4 pick in the 2006 draft, and a trade for Wauters in 2008, and the Stars had the core of their best team, which went 24-10 in 2008. Face of the franchise: Tamika Catchings (2002-2016) This makes them the most valuable franchise in all of sports. The report estimated the franchise's value at $2 billion, making it the most expensive team in the league. How Breanna Stewart's move impacts the Liberty, Storm and the WNBA, WNBA free agency and trade tracker: Latest deals and news, Sparks' Talbot to miss season with torn ACL, Source: Griner back with Mercury on 1-year deal, Taurasi, 40, signs multiyear deal with Mercury, ESPN's Rowe, Spears receive Curt Gowdy award, Happy birthdays to MJ: Jordan's not the only one sharing his birthday with big-name stars, Former Iowa, Storm center Edwards dies at 49, Jefferson leaves Lynx, signs contract with Mercury, WNBA's best 25 under 25: Ranking A'ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier and all the young stars, WNBA Power Rankings: Connecticut Sun dethrone Las Vegas Aces, while Minnesota Lynx leapfrog over Seattle Storm. Other notable stars: Skylar Diggins-Smith, Ivory Latta, Tiffany Jackson-Jones, Glory Johnson, Sheryl Swoopes, Odyssey Sims, Riquna Williams. In the last decade, womens college basketball has become one of the most popular sports in the state with Oregon and Oregon State ranking among the top 25 nationally in attendance per game from 2017 to 2020. After losing in the 1998 WNBA Finals, the Mercury missed the playoffs seven of the next eight years. The lowest of . Maybe the magic of the franchise's early years can be recaptured, along with its first championship. Transactions occur in a black box, unlike most other professional leagues, in which teams are sold and their prices are eventually leaked or announced. Bridgestone Arena could be a location for a WNBA expansion team. The Milwaukee Bucks are the next richest basketball team in the NBA. MINNEAPOLISAccording to a report by Forbes magazine, the Minnesota Lynx are easily the WNBA's richest franchise, boasting an estimated enterprise value of nearly four dollars. Regular-season record: 383-341 That history is ancient history, she said. In the last seven years of the Shock's existence in Detroit, they reached the playoffs each season, got to the WNBA Finals four times and won three titles. This would be the first time the league has added an expansion team since the Atlanta Dream were founded in 2008. Considering they've already reached the Finals and had an MVP, the building blocks to long-term success are in place. Tulsa went 7-38 under Richardson, who resigned 11 games into his second season. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told The Athletic she hopes to identify one or two cities for an expansion franchise by the start of the WNBA playoffs in September or by years end at the latest. This is a BETA experience. Continue with Recommended Cookies. That revenue from the media contracts would do that.. Take, for example, the New York Knicks. All figures are in U.S. dollars based on the average U.S.-Canada exchange rates during the 2020-21 season. Even if 76ers ownership were to get involved, they do not control dates at the building. Face of the franchise: Taj McWilliams-Franklin (1999-2002) MVPs: A'ja Wilson (2020) Portland has shown consistently that were at the top of the list in supporting womens franchises and events, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said. Austin Crumble. Face of the franchise: Merlakia Jones (1997-2003) When you think about NBA teams or MLB teams, NFL teams, people paid for what the value is, not necessarily what they are worth in that moment. Regular-season record: 108-112 Today, all but two teams are making a profit. Low point: There are so many options. He loves watching all types of sporting events and has made it his personal mission to attend every game he can. One league source believes that the company was responsible for a substantial portion of the $75 million raised.