The National Basketball Association (NBA) has always been at the forefront of American television and media, but recently, another basketball league has been taking the U.S. by storm. The Women Nation Basketball Association (WNBA) has been steadily increasing in popularity, with the 2025 season being the most-viewed season of all time, and the 2026 season, the league’s 30th anniversary, is predicted to break that record.
With the increased popularity of the WNBA, the league has begun expanding to incorporate more teams. Last season, the new Golden State Valkyries celebrated their inaugural season with overwhelming success, and almost all of their home games at the Chase Center sold out. With the success of the Valkyries, the WNBA decided to expand further this year, adding two new teams, the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo.
Once again, the expansion was a great success, and the league could not have picked two better cities. Portland, a major basketball city, got its first professional women’s basketball team to share the city with the NBA’s popular Portland Trailblazers. Toronto, another big basketball city, got the WNBA’s first Canadian team for not just the city of Toronto but the entire country of Canada to rally around. Even with these three new teams, the league plans to expand to another three locations in the near future: Ohio in 2028, Detroit in 2029 and Philly in 2030.
Fernando Miranda (IV) describes the impact of the expansion, saying, “I think the expansion shows that women’s basketball is becoming more popular and respected. More teams mean that more people are supporting the sport and paying attention to it. It shows that the future of women’s basketball is growing and heading in a positive direction.” With the increase of teams being added to the league, the women’s basketball community is already feeling the impact of a stronger fanbase, and the world of women’s sports is increasing rapidly.
The WNBA’s expansion not only provides the league with more revenue but also provides the opportunity for more talented players to play at a professional level. Increasing the size of the WNBA leads to more interest in women’s sports and teams for girls and women to be represented in professional sports. Kate Murphy (IV), a girls’ basketball player, comments on this, saying, “It is exciting to see women get the recognition they deserve for their hard work. […] It is only fair [that] they get the attention they need.” This same sentiment is echoed by her teammate, Holly Barnat (IV): “It definitely creates more opportunities for players and inspires younger girls to stay involved in sports.” The WNBA is not the only league reaping the benefits of the rise in women’s sports; the National Women’s Soccer League has also seen a rise in attendance and viewership. The growth of female sports has taken the world by storm, and it all started with women’s basketball.
