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The Women's National Basketball Association has officially breached its single-season attendance record, attracting upwards of 2.5 cardinal fans to games astir the state truthful acold this year, the league announced Thursday.
The caller record, acceptable connected Wednesday, accounts for crowds that attended 226 WNBA games successful 2025 involving 13 teams, according to a societal media station shared by the WNBA. The erstwhile record, acceptable successful 2002, was reached aft considerably much games — 256 — and progressive much teams — 16 teams — than the caller record.
WNBA sets an all-time attendance grounds with 2,501,609 fans arsenic of 8/20/25. In 2002, the grounds was acceptable with 16 teams crossed 256 games. This season, the WNBA broke the grounds with 13 teams and conscionable 226 games. pic.twitter.com/rknKFpMekn
— WNBA Communications (@WNBAComms) August 21, 2025This latest milestone follows what WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert successful June described arsenic an expanding nationalist request for women's basketball. At the time, the league shared its plans to grow from 15 teams adjacent twelvemonth to 18 teams by 2030, with caller teams successful Portland, Toronto, Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia, arsenic portion of a "commitment to increasing the game, expanding opportunities for players, and bringing nonrecreational women's hoops to caller and passionate fanbases successful much cities."
The Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia teams' inclusion successful the league is pending support by the WNBA and NBA Boards of Governors. If they are approved, Cleveland volition commencement to play successful 2028, followed by teams successful Detroit and Philadelphia successful 2029 and 2030, according to the WNBA. The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, which had been antecedently announced, are some acceptable to commencement playing successful 2026.
"The request for women's hoops has ne'er been higher, and we are thrilled to invited Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia to the WNBA family," Engelbert said successful a statement. "This historical enlargement is simply a almighty reflection of our league's bonzer momentum, the extent of endowment crossed the game, and the surging request for concern successful women's nonrecreational basketball."
Emily Mae Czachor is simply a newsman and quality exertion astatine CBSNews.com. She typically covers breaking news, utmost upwind and issues involving societal justice. Emily Mae antecedently wrote for outlets similar the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.
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