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The WNBA is becoming more mainstream, with players like Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson taking the league to new heights. But with the league going straight, the one issue that people have been facing is the ticket price going sky-high. The ticket prices have more than doubled in the last couple of years, and many season ticket holders are debating whether they want to renew their membership. While the demand of the game getting bigger is good for the league, fans believe that the pricing is becoming a big issue.
WNBA going mainstream is facing a major problem
The WNBA fanbase, as many have seen over the years and decades, is quite inclusive. They have formed a close bond with their team and each other – and unlike the NBA, which has a vast and major fanbase, the WNBA being lesser known means those who know it really become a part of it. Unfortunately, for the core fans, that’s changing with everyday.The WNBA is becoming bigger, and as the league grows, the demand gets bigger. The league is now expanding, with more teams to join by 2030. Franchise operation costs have increased with this, with many of them having opened new practice facilities, or renovating their old ones. And of course, with all this happening, the ticket prices have gone up by a mile, and many seasoned fans are undoubtedly upset.
Washington Mystic star Alysha Clark calls it a “catch-22”
Alysha Clark recently used the phrase “catch-22” to describe the situation where the increase in WNBA popularity has driven up ticket prices. While the increase in demand is a positive problem, it also excludes some fans from the game, who are unable to meet the new and increasing price demand.“[Rising ticket prices] is a good problem in the sense that (it) means we’re growing. At the same time, we always want to make sure that we’re doing what we can to make sure our fans feel valued and included.”A New York Liberty recently saw her season tickets go from $600 to almost $1700, while another Chicago Sky fan said their tickets had gone from $9000 to $22000 in less than two years. In the last regular game at the Liberty home ground, many fans of the team were seen wearing an orange T-shirt. The bright orange t-shirts saw a frowning Lady Liberty with the phrase “We’ve been priced out.” Hopefully, long term fans won’t lose out on supporting their teams because of this current issue. Also Read: Aspiration co-founder Andrei Cherny says Kawhi Leonard’s $28 million endorsement deal was NOT “no-show”; Pablo Torre disagrees
