In 1973, the New York Knicks won the NBA championship. Until this October, New York hadn’t seen a championship win in 51 years. That was until the WNBA team, The New York Liberty, not only secured a championship win but also changed the course and popularity of women’s basketball indefinitely.
The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and The New York Liberty were both founded in 1996, meaning that women’s basketball has only been nationally recognized and played for 28 years. Since then, the Liberty ladies have successfully developed a fan base of hundreds of thousands, becoming the second most popular WNBA team, with an average attendance of almost 13,000 people per game. However, this past season, New York Liberty broke the franchise’s record for the most attended game, with 17,735 fans in attendance.
It’s no secret that the WNBA’s attendance, viewership, and revenue are increasing yearly. In 2024, the average television viewership for a regular season WNBA game was about 1.4 million viewers, the highest season average ever recorded. Of that statistic, 44% of viewers were women, a significant increase in female interest compared to previous seasons. In addition to that, Sports Business Journal also reported that the group with the largest viewership increase was girls between the ages of 12 to 17. While the amount of teenage girls engaging with the WNBA has certainly increased, it’s also important to note that teenage girls are still a minority group in the overall league support.
Dean of Students, Mrs. Tara Sheireck, who played basketball at Adelphi University, is also a devoted New York Liberty fan, “During the championship this year, it was awesome to see the stadium sold out, yet I wish more people, especially girls who play basketball, would support more, even during the regular season,” Mrs. Sheireck said.
While the popularity of women’s basketball certainly seems to be on the rise, many basketball fans still prefer NBA games.
Junior varsity basketball player Ella Covitt is one of them. “I’m a Knicks fan more than a WNBA or Liberty fan. For me, watching women’s basketball just isn’t as engaging as playing the game or watching the NBA.”
The New York Liberty’s Championship win has not only been a key factor in the increasing popularity of the WNBA, but their success also represents the many possibilities for the future of women’s basketball. While the growth is undeniable, it’s also important to recognize that repetitive viewership from adolescents and our community as a whole can strengthen the popularity of women’s basketball, which has been ignited by our state’s very own Liberty Ladies.
