. Other notable stars: Rushia Brown, Suzie McConnell Serio, Chasity Melvin, Eva Nemcova, Penny Taylor, Ann Wauters. The WNBAhas seen significant growth in viewership over the last five years. Fourth is the Los Angeles Sparks. With an estimated value of $275 million, the Sky are second on this list. Face of the franchise: Yolanda Griffith The Liberty lost Game 3 and the series, but "The Shot" lives on. There has been a critical error on this website. The NHLs Predators, the arenas main tenant, have publicly supported the Nashville Sports Councils Women in Sports Initiative, which indicates they would be open to discussing sharing Bridgestone Arena if an ownership group came forward. Every team . Beard was a four-time WNBAAll-Star and won a championship in 2016 with the Los Angeles Sparks. Plus, help in the form of two consecutive No. 1 in 2001, Charlotte bypassed Catchings with the No. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. In order to break a tie, the following criteria will be utilized in the order set forth: After losing in the first round of the playoffs four out of five years between 1994 and 1999, the Knicks started to become popular again. Portland has shown consistently that were at the top of the list in supporting womens franchises and events, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said. Today, the Knicks are one of the most popular teams in New York, if not all of sports their fan base has been called the city's biggest sports "fervor". Championships: None The most recent sale of a franchise occurred when Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore agreed to a $1.5 billion deal to buy . Finally, people are understanding the value of the WNBAand what we offer.. Nolan, Smith, Ford and McWilliams-Franklin, who were still with the Shock in 2009, never moved with the organization. Regular-season record: 48-48 New Orleans Pelicans: $1.35 billion. Regular-season record: 59-145 Championships: None While the Fire lasted just three seasons, the surge in women's basketball's popularity in the state thanks to the success of the Oregon and Oregon State women's programs in recent years makes Portland a place many think the WNBA should reconsider someday. But forward/center Parker would be the No. has raised $75 million from more than two dozen investors in a bid to revamp its business model as players call for expansion, higher salaries and better benefits. Low point: The franchise folding after going 15-17 in 2002. But after four seasons, Johnson was ready to move on from the WNBA. Manage Settings And were also looking at our current WNBA franchise cities and comparing what lessons weve learned and whats worked and not worked over the last 25 years. They pay for the potential and so the WNBAis becoming a major part of the conversation as we speak.. This recent history of the NBA's salary cap tells us again that Cuban's story isn't quite right. Owned by the Cleveland Cavaliers, their last season was the summer that LeBron James was the No. The offer was enticing enough that chairman Max Abrahams and his team put in an offer to acquire that franchise for a price of $3.5 million. It averaged 75,000 viewers per regular season game in 2017, according to Nielsen, but that more than doubled to 162,000 viewers per nationally televised game last season. Who are the highest-earning Major League Baseball teams? Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. For example, last month the Brooklyn Nets landed a jersey patch dealreportedlyworth an NBA-record $30 million a year, one reason the value of the Nets rose 21% this yearmore than any other teamto $3.2 billion. High point: Avenging a 2016 WNBA Finals loss to the Los Angeles Sparks by winning the 2017 Finals, also against L.A. Seven players from five different teams will earn the WNBA supermax salary of $221,450, per Spotrac. The WNBA's average base salary is around $130,000, with the rookie minimum at $60,471 and the veteran minimum at $72,141. The 2023 WNBA free agency period opened on Jan. 21, which means teams are now allowed to meet with players and offer contracts. Nike, of course, has serious ties to the league. So I think our newest data is our capital raise and the huge, huge commitment we got from that investor group.. The Hornets moved to New Orleans after the 2001-02 NBA season, but the Sting stayed put. How Breanna Stewart's move impacts the Liberty, Storm and the WNBA, WNBA free agency and trade tracker: Latest deals and news, Sparks' Talbot to miss season with torn ACL, Source: Griner back with Mercury on 1-year deal, Taurasi, 40, signs multiyear deal with Mercury, ESPN's Rowe, Spears receive Curt Gowdy award, Happy birthdays to MJ: Jordan's not the only one sharing his birthday with big-name stars, Former Iowa, Storm center Edwards dies at 49, Jefferson leaves Lynx, signs contract with Mercury, WNBA's best 25 under 25: Ranking A'ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier and all the young stars, WNBA Power Rankings: Connecticut Sun dethrone Las Vegas Aces, while Minnesota Lynx leapfrog over Seattle Storm. The Seattle Storm were able to turn around their financial situation and start making money. Very successful.. Franchise journey: The Dream are the last expansion franchise to join the WNBA, in 2008. Then majority owner Bill Cameron moved the franchise to Dallas, where the Wing are still seeking their first winning record. No controlling interests of NBA teams have changed hands sinceour lastranking,but several minority stakes were sold at prices that show thefranchisesare a hot commodity, especially those in big markets. The ABL didnt last very long just two seasons but it was the first sign of Lacobs interest in putting his money behind a womens basketball league. She told The Athletic that the value of the WNBA's 12 individual teams plus the league itself is worth over $1 billion. Championships: None They officially were the "Silver Stars" from then through 2013, then just the "Stars" their last four seasons. A representative for billionaire Kirk Brown said he is leading the bid to bring a WNBA team to Portland in this round of expansion. The Monarchs came close in 2006 but fell in the decisive Game 5 at Detroit. Championships: Three (2007, 2009, 2014) Along with its three titles, Los Angeles has two other trips to the WNBA Finals, falling to Detroit in 2003 and Minnesota in 2017, and has played in every postseason since 2011. If the WNBA paid out the same revenue split as the NBA (50-50 . The league . He also owns the Rangers baseball team. Playoff appearances (record): Nine (20-14) But, fast forward to 2020, and every team in the league was profitable, with average operating income surging to $62 million. How much each NBA team is worth in 2021: New York Knicks: $5 billion. Filling the number 10 spot on the list is the Toronto Raptors. In 2011, they won the draft lottery, which brought UConn superstar Moore as the No. 1 picks and drafted superstars with all four picks: Jackson (2001), Bird (2002), Loyd (2015) and Stewart (2016). High point: The 2012 title gave the future Hall of Famer Catchings a WNBA championship, and her college coach Pat Summitt was in attendance for the clinching victory. The presentation will show that Nashville has the infrastructure to support a team. Listing the top salaries, cap hits, cash, earnings, contracts, and bonuses, for all active WNBA players. Get Forbes daily top headlines delivered straight to your inboxfor news on the worlds most important entrepreneurs and superstars, expert career advice and success secrets. In 2017, the franchise was worth 3.3 billion US dollars, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers, who were worth just a bit less than the Knicks. Then everything changed in the 2010 season: Cheryl Reeve was hired as head coach, forward Brunson was picked in the Sacramento Monarchs dispersal draft and a trade brought point guard Whalen home to Minnesota. We opted to rank the franchises separately rather than group Utah/San Antonio/Las Vegas, Detroit/Tulsa/Dallas and Orlando/Connecticut. Many WNBA stars work in other countries during the WNBA's off-season because doing so is more lucrative than playing in the U.S. Griner is reportedly earning more than $1 million to play for her . 29. They got four Hall of Fame players in Cooper, Swoopes, Thompson and Arcain, an experienced, successful coach from the college game in Van Chancellor, committed ownership (at least initially) from the Houston Rockets' Leslie Alexander and an energetic fan base. (Click here for our full list of values and additional information on every team.). Even though she has played just three full seasons, she led the Mystics to the 2018 and 2019 WNBA Finals, winning the championship in the second trip. We really want to set up new owners for success., Engelbert estimates an 18- to 24-month timeline from the identification of a new team to its inaugural season. The community is very supportive and excited about the opportunity for the WNBA. Then Fowles, after seven seasons with the Sky, sat out the start of the 2015 season until she was traded to Minnesota, where she has won two titles. High point: Going 6-0 in the 2000 playoffs, sweeping Sacramento, Los Angeles and New York to win their fourth consecutive title. Stiles had a strong rookie season but had the first of many major surgeries when it ended and played just 21 more games in the WNBA, all in an injury-plagued 2002 season. Since then, the league's landscape has shifted several times, including to ownership outside the NBA. With the "face of the franchise" category, we list the years she was with that team, which is not necessarily how long she was (or still is) in the WNBA. The top cumulative contracts are four-year deals worth $899,480. Championships: None The league-wide average of $2.2 billion per team in 2021 is a new record for Forbes' valuations. High point: A franchise-best 29-5 regular-season record plus a 7-1 playoff mark in the Mercury's 2014 championship season. 1. They are well-positioned to bring a team to San Francisco if they decide to make a full-throttle pitch. Johnson signed with the Stars as a free agent in 2006, and former New York teammate Hammon came to San Antonio via trade in 2007. We have been actively exploring this for a long time, Lacob told the San Francisco Chronicle last year. Among the new owners is former Dream star Renee Montgomery, who retired to fight for social justice. Three have been with single-digit victory totals, and they're closing in on the fourth. Behind LAFC comes Atlanta United ($845 million) and LA Galaxy ($835 million). Low point: An 8-26 final season in San Antonio in 2017, when it was clear the Spurs ownership group had completely lost interest in the Stars. Low point: Failing to follow up their postseason breakthrough, going 13-19 in 2001. Regular-season record: 422-390 The WNBA launched with eight NBA-affiliated teams in June 1997. Its amazing to be in the conversation, Beard said. Franchise investors are looking past the dearth of fanswhich cut average revenue for the leagues 30 teams by 19% from the 2019-20 season, to $214 millionwith eyes on a big rebound: An increasein sponsorship revenue coupled with fans returning to arenas this season should push the leagues revenue to an all-time high of at least $10 billion,10% above the2018-19 campaign, the last full season before the pandemic. Even if your . February 18, 2023. How much is the Houston Astros franchise worth? For example, a citys population, political affiliation and policies, and generational demographics will be factors, Engelbert said, as the league knows it already skews to young and female fans. To date, the Monarchs are the last WNBA franchise to fold. Other notable stars: Janeth Arcain, Kim Perrot, Michelle Snow, Tina Thompson. And we know more about it than anybody else. In the WNBA, Vandersloot holds the records for most assists in a season, most assists-per-game in a season, and most career assists-per-game. But they never gained traction, and when the WNBA opted to allow non-NBA ownership after the 2002 season, the Miracle were bought by the Mohegan Tribe and moved to Connecticut for 2003. The Fever haven't made the playoffs since she retired after the 2016 season. WNBA mock draft: Villanova's Siegrist soars into lottery pick, Serena, Griner honored at NAACP Image Awards, Sparks officially re-sign forward N. Ogwumike, Griner on court in 1st open workout since release, WNBA draft set for N.Y., to have 'Orange Carpet', 2-time All-Star C. Ogwumike back with Sparks, Griner officially rejoins Mercury in 'special signing', Yang joins Sparks after FIBA silver with China, WNBA trade grades: Why Wings, Liberty earn top marks in Saturday's four-team trade. Face of the franchise: Liz Cambage (2011-13) Franchise journey: The Miracle were part of the Orlando Magic organization and had some real talent in their short stay in Florida. So that's one year, unprotected, at the . Franchise journey: Should the Wings really be ranked behind the long-gone Sting and Rockers? The Forbes estimate does not include sales or sponsorship revenue which both teams enjoy, but instead focuses on the actual value of the Knicks' ownership interest. The league billed the raise as the biggest ever for a "women's sports property." It includes a roster of A-list investors from the basketball community, as . They've also had one of the most involved fan bases in the X Factor, which fell in love with the likes of Jennifer Gillom, Bridget Pettis and Australia's Michele Timms in the early years. Other notable stars: Katie Douglas, Shannon Johnson, Elaine Powell, Nykesha Sales. Low point: Missing the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season in 2009. Playoff appearances (record): 16 (32-25) With the league celebrating its 25th season, we rank every franchise in each of its incarnations in different cities, all 23 of them. We could see the Aces much higher in this kind of ranking a few years from now; they are contenders for the title again this season. Low point: The Liberty losing No. The franchise took momentum with them to Texas, having had winning records in 2000, 2001 and 2002 and making the playoffs in their last two seasons in Utah. Those four made up the core of the 2004 and 2005 teams that advanced to the WNBA Finals. The Rose City attempted to house a WNBAfranchise for three seasons from 2000-2002, but it failed. The former Michigan State star caught up with For The Win to discuss the big . Franchise journey: The Sky launched in 2006 and for two seasons had two superstars who were both No. 1 pick in the 1998 draft, she was a fan favorite in five seasons in Utah and the rest of her career in San Antonio, Connecticut and Los Angeles. This is below the cost of most NBA games today. High point: Finishing 16-16 in 2000 and making their only playoff appearance. Championships: None So much has changed during COVID with this league. At this point, despite a lot of success as a franchise, the Dream face a lot of questions. Low point: There are so many options. The overall number of games played in the season likely would increase and the Commissioners Cup a regular-season tournament launched by Engelbert in 2021 would require a few adjustments, but adding a single team wouldnt create the same level of unequal play as in other leagues. WNBA career stats leaders: Diana Taurasi in points (9,161), field goals made/attempted (2,887 of 6,703), 3-point field goals made/attempted (1,203 of 3,286) and free throws made/attempted (2,184 of 2,508) Joe Tsai is a co-founder of China's biggest e-commerce company, Alibaba Group. Low point: Becoming the first of the original eight WNBA teams to fold, after the 2003 season. It was named one of the WNBAs inaugural Gamechangers (an investor program launched by Engelbertin 2020), was an investor in the recent capital raise and owns equity in the league. Mr. Allen is one of the richest people in the world, having earned over $10 billion dollars. The Comets were 98-24 in the regular season and 16-3 in the playoffs in the league's first four years. Low point: An 8-26 record in 2003 under the Mercury's third coach in three years. Regular-season record: 241-149 In 2018, the NBA's 30 teams generated $7.4 billion in revenue which was up 25% from 2017. We always bet on Nashville. It is the fourth-largest media market in the country and the biggest one in which the WNBAdoes not already have a team. Heres a look at the six markets that seem the most prepared and probable to be on the short list for WNBAexpansion: During the fall of 2019, the Nashville Sports Authority board commissioned CAA Icon a consulting firm that works with venue owners and operations, professional sports franchises and sports leagues to conduct market research on the viability of and interest in a professional womens sports team in the city. Based out of Milwaukee, the Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. Engelbert would not disclose the number of teams projected as profitable for the 2022 season. High point: Making their only WNBA Finals appearance in 2001, under coach Anne Donovan. When you think about NBA teams or MLB teams, NFL teams, people paid for what the value is, not necessarily what they are worth in that moment. The franchise, led by its ownership group, considered buying a WNBA team twice in recent years, sources said. The Mohegan Tribe in Connecticut, which had an arena at the Mohegan Sun Casino and wanted to capitalize on the popularity of women's basketball in the state thanks to UConn, bought the Miracle. Face of the franchise: Seimone Augustus (2006-2019) The Stars' struggles in their final years in San Antonio helped lead to consecutive WNBA No.