Why you should watch the WNBA

Jonquel Jones at the WNBA finals in 2024. (Credit: Flickr)

Over the past few weeks, you may have seen the throngs of fans crowding the streets of New York, chanting “Knicks in Five! Knicks in Five!” 

The New York Knicks took the crown for the first time in 53 years earlier this month, winning the NBA finals against the San Antonio Spurs.

If you’re a basketball fan you may be asking yourself what to do with all this free time now that the season has concluded.

Aubrey Plaza has it down pat, barracking for both the NBA’s New York Knicks and the WNBA’s New York Liberty.

Unlike the Knicks, the Liberty have just been hit in a close match against the Los Angeles Sparks on the 21^st of June. 

Nneka Ogwumike hit a three-pointer at the buzzer – just enough to push the Sparks to a 98-97 victory over the Liberty.

The WNBA is the premier women’s professional basketball league in the United States. This year marks its 30^th anniversary and a shift in style. In addition to two new teams, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, a new landmark collective bargaining agreement has changed the game for the players.

Last season, players’ minimum salaries were $66,000. After months of back-and-forth negotiation, the new CBA has more than quadrupled that value to $270,000. Despite this mark of significant progress, an NBA player’s average salary is currently $10.54 million. The WNBA still has plenty of room for growth, and boosting viewership will only help.

In another close match June 20, the Dallas Wings overtook the Chicago Sky (93-92), scoring a season high of 36 fourth-quarter points. 17 of the Wings’ Jessica Shepard’s 21 points were scored in the second half, making for a fast-paced finish.

This marked their 10^th win of the 2026 season – the same number of wins they finished with last season, leaving them at the bottom of the standings. This year, however, they have climbed to fourth.

Many fans attribute this comeback to the introduction of rookie Azzi Fudd, reuniting her with former University of Connecticut teammate Paige Bueckers, last year’s Rookie of the Year.

The Wings’ rise is just another of many reasons the league is worth turning your attention to this year. If there was ever a time to tune into the WNBA, it’s now.