Even Without Caitlin Clark, WNBA Smashes Regular-Season Attendance Record

The WNBA has officially shattered its regular-season attendance record — with a full month still remaining on the calendar.

According to data from Across the Timeline, the league surpassed its all-time attendance mark on Friday, blowing past the previous record of 2,364,736 fans set in 2002. And the wildest part? It only took 215 games to get there — 41 fewer than were played in that entire 2002 season.

At this pace, the league is on track to draw more than 3.15 million fans before the season ends on Sept. 11, a staggering 33% increase over last year.

The Caitlin Clark Effect — Even When She’s Not Playing

The Indiana Fever currently lead the league in total attendance, with more than 300,000 fans attending their 18 home games so far. That’s especially impressive considering Caitlin Clark — the player most credited with fueling the WNBA’s recent explosion in popularity — has missed 22 of the team’s 35 games this season due to injury.

Because of an increase in demand, many teams have moved their games to larger arenas in 2025, usually against the Fever. Washington will host Indiana at the 14,000-seat CFG Bank Arena on Sept. 7. The Las Vegas Aces have three games scheduled at 18,000-seat T-Mobile Arena in September, including two against Chicago and one against Minnesota.

Indiana Fever attendance numbers are still the best in the league, even with an injured Caitlin Clark.

(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

And the Fever aren’t the only attendance success story this season.

The Golden State Valkyries, a 2025 expansion team, have sold out every single one of their 16 home games, bringing 289,024 fans to the Chase Center. The New York Liberty are also setting records, averaging 29% more fans per game than last year and already surpassing their 2024 attendance total with three games to spare.

More Fans, More Pressure On WNBA

This attendance milestone comes at a critical point for the league.

WNBA players are currently locked in tense negotiations with the league over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Their top demands include higher salaries and a more dynamic revenue-sharing model. Right now, WNBA players receive just 9.3% of league revenue, compared to the NBA’s 50%.

With record-breaking attendance, soaring merchandise sales and a $2.2 billion media rights deal kicking in next year, players say the league can afford to pay more.

"I think we’re just asking for fairness," WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike said during WNBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis. "We want to be able to have our salaries reflected in a structure that makes sense for us."

WNBA players wore "Pay Us What You Owe Us" T-shirts during warm-ups for the 2025 All-Star Game.

(Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, however, has insisted that the league is working to balance player pay with long-term financial sustainability. "We want to significantly increase their salary and benefits," she said before the All-Star Game. "But we also have to have a path to profitability."

The WNBA's current CBA expires in October, and the pressure is mounting — not just from players, but from the numbers themselves.