2025 WNBA Thread

[The Sultan]

Hopefully Angel Reese survives that vicious flagrant foul from Caitlin Clark.  Lol. 

Too bad Lennys isn't here to warn us about white, heterosexual women targetting Reese like that.

[Jay Bee]

I like Sophie Cunningham.

[MU82]

Triple-double for Clark. She might have had 20 assists if her teammates hadn't missed so many layups in the first half. The Fever really had it rolling in the second half. They look to be a formidable team with their new players.

[panda2.0]

Many people are asking if Caitlin Clark is the modern day Jackie Robinson?

[The Sultan]

For the second straight season, the sports media class is showing that it has no clue how to discuss a personal rivalry between a white and black player without making it worse.

[Billy Hoyle]

Caitlin Clark out two weeks with a quad injury.

https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/basketball/wnba/fever/2025/05/26/caitlin-clark-injury-news-fever-star-hurt-quadricep/83863558007/

[MU82]

Caitlin Clark out two weeks with a quad injury.

https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/basketball/wnba/fever/2025/05/26/caitlin-clark-injury-news-fever-star-hurt-quadricep/83863558007/

From The Athletic:

Tonight, the Fever play the Mystics in Baltimore, a game moved from Washington's usual home arena (capacity: 4,200) to CFG Bank Arena (capacity: ~12,000).
 
The lowest get-in price has plummeted from the mid-$40s, per FOS/TickPick, to less than $20 this morning on StubHub.

The bigger question comes at the tail end of Clark's projected two-week injury break: Fever at Sky in Chicago on Saturday, June 7, a major event moved from the Sky's usual Wintrust Arena (capacity: 10,400) to the Bulls' United Center (capacity: 21,000). The game had been shifted to prime time on CBS, with the very real potential to be the most-watched WNBA game ever.
 
Now? If Clark doesn't play, that delta between "most-watched ever" and the actual number will be a pretty clear indicator of the premium delivered by Clark. The rating for tonight's diminished game in Baltimore will provide the first data point in that set.

[Billy Hoyle]

From The Athletic:

Tonight, the Fever play the Mystics in Baltimore, a game moved from Washington's usual home arena (capacity: 4,200) to CFG Bank Arena (capacity: ~12,000).
 
The lowest get-in price has plummeted from the mid-$40s, per FOS/TickPick, to less than $20 this morning on StubHub.

The bigger question comes at the tail end of Clark's projected two-week injury break: Fever at Sky in Chicago on Saturday, June 7, a major event moved from the Sky's usual Wintrust Arena (capacity: 10,400) to the Bulls' United Center (capacity: 21,000). The game had been shifted to prime time on CBS, with the very real potential to be the most-watched WNBA game ever.
 
Now? If Clark doesn't play, that delta between "most-watched ever" and the actual number will be a pretty clear indicator of the premium delivered by Clark. The rating for tonight's diminished game in Baltimore will provide the first data point in that set.

What? I was told people tune in to watch Angel Reece miss layups to pad her rebounding stats at the same levels as those tho watch Caitlin Clark. I mean, she does have more IG followers, that has to count for something, right?

[Shaka Shart]

What? I was told people tune in to watch Angel Reece miss layups to pad her rebounding stats at the same levels as those tho watch Caitlin Clark. I mean, she does have more IG followers, that has to count for something, right?

[The Sultan]

lol. Yep.

[JWags85]

Those people do exist, plenty of them...but they are also nonsensical Twitter warriors, just on the opposite side.  Much has been made about all the overnight fake fans of the WNBA who are just there for Clark, aka to fight this iteration of the culture war.  But there are plenty who haven't followed the WNBA at all but now LOVE Reese cause she represents the flip side of Caitlin Clark the white savior fans.  And they are full of terrible takes too.

My friend and his wife have season tickets to the Sky.  And one of the people in their group of STH adjacent is a HUGE Angel Reese fan.  She also loves South Carolina.  And didn't follow the Sky until a year ago.  Needless to say she provides plenty of eye rolling moments.  Funny enough, they have friends they've made through going to games that have had season tickets for over a decade.  Hardcore womens basketball fans...and while they support her as a key cog in their team, Reese drives them absolutely crazy with her complete lack of offensive efficiency and complained for weeks last season about the Sky caring more about her double double record and general stats than actually winning.

All in all, its growing pains for the league to become more mainstream.  And its annoying but no press is bad press when you need eyeballs to grow.  But its definitely a stark contrast to NBA social media and fanship which is just constant memes and jokes.

[Shaka Shart]

Those people do exist, plenty of them...but they are also nonsensical Twitter warriors, just on the opposite side.  Much has been made about all the overnight fake fans of the WNBA who are just there for Clark, aka to fight this iteration of the culture war.  But there are plenty who haven't followed the WNBA at all but now LOVE Reese cause she represents the flip side of Caitlin Clark the white savior fans.  And they are full of terrible takes too.

My friend and his wife have season tickets to the Sky.  And one of the people in their group of STH adjacent is a HUGE Angel Reese fan.  She also loves South Carolina.  And didn't follow the Sky until a year ago.  Needless to say she provides plenty of eye rolling moments.  Funny enough, they have friends they've made through going to games that have had season tickets for over a decade.  Hardcore womens basketball fans...and while they support her as a key cog in their team, Reese drives them absolutely crazy with her complete lack of offensive efficiency and complained for weeks last season about the Sky caring more about her double double record and general stats than actually winning.

All in all, its growing pains for the league to become more mainstream.  And its annoying but no press is bad press when you need eyeballs to grow.  But its definitely a stark contrast to NBA social media and fanship which is just constant memes and jokes.

It's cool to see interest grow in a league that struggled to gain it for so long. However WNBA fans were/are not ready for the online toxicity of NBa Reddit, Twitter, and nba centel

[Billy Hoyle]

It wasn't randos on Twitter though. It was Monica McNutt on ESPN, Lisa Leslie, and a writer for The Athletic:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5743551/2024/09/04/caitlin-clark-angel-reese-wnba-rookie-of-year/

[Jay Bee]

in 2k, can you like do a franchise for wnba? never tried it but now i want to play with sophie cunningham

[Shaka Shart]

It wasn't randos on Twitter though. It was Monica McNutt on ESPN, Lisa Leslie, and a writer for The Athletic:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5743551/2024/09/04/caitlin-clark-angel-reese-wnba-rookie-of-year/

Ok but that's different than what you originally said

[Hards Alumni]

in 2k, can you like do a franchise for wnba? never tried it but now i want to play with sophie cunningham

Hope you like her new smile

[MU82]

When the schedule was announced, many thought the CBS Fever-Sky telecast would draw the largest TV audience ever for a WNBA game. Then Caitlin Clark got hurt.

Well, it still drew a huge audience, even with Clark watching from the bench.

CBS said on Tuesday it had averaged 1.924 million viewers, making it the third most-watched WNBA game on any network this season. Sports Media Watch noted it was the eighth-largest WNBA regular-season audience since 2001, and the 10th-largest including the playoffs. Of those games, it was the second-most watched that did not include Clark, behind Game 5 of last year's WNBA Finals. (The Athletic)

[MuggsyB]

When the schedule was announced, many thought the CBS Fever-Sky telecast would draw the largest TV audience ever for a WNBA game. Then Caitlin Clark got hurt.

Well, it still drew a huge audience, even with Clark watching from the bench.

CBS said on Tuesday it had averaged 1.924 million viewers, making it the third most-watched WNBA game on any network this season. Sports Media Watch noted it was the eighth-largest WNBA regular-season audience since 2001, and the 10th-largest including the playoffs. Of those games, it was the second-most watched that did not include Clark, behind Game 5 of last year's WNBA Finals. (The Athletic)

There's been a 55% drop in viewership since Caitlin's injury.  She the most impactful athlete probably ever from a pure economic perspective. 

[Billy Hoyle]

There's been a 55% drop in viewership since Caitlin's injury.  She the most impactful athlete probably ever from a pure economic perspective. 

Tickets for Fever games on resale sites plummeted as well. StubHub had prices as low at 50 cents for the Fever/Sky game. Even in Indy lower level tickets that usually go for over $100 were around $30.

[MuggsyB]

Tickets for Fever games on resale sites plummeted as well. StubHub had prices as low at 50 cents for the Fever/Sky game. Even in Indy lower level tickets that usually go for over $100 were around $30.

I

Wow.  50 cents???  That's really incredible. 

[MuggsyB]

Nm

[Billy Hoyle]

Well, that Clark kid for Indiana might end up being a pretty good player

[MU82]

Well, that Clark kid for Indiana might end up being a pretty good player

That first half was surreal. After she hit her third bomb in about 40 seconds, I screamed, "Are you kidding me?" Then, a couple minutes later, when she hit that 3 over Stewart, the reaction of both players was incredible. Stewie couldn't believe it.

Clark finished with 32 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists. She's an amazing passer and would have had at least 15 assists if her teammates made more routine layups.

It was as fun a game to watch as any you'll see.