WNBA builds on 2024 draft success with December expansion draft

The GIST: As discussed on yesterday’s episode of The GIST of It, the WNBA is hosting its first expansion draft since 2008 today as the Golden State Valkyries post up to join the league. With today’s draft seeing historic interest from media and sponsors, the W is primed for the big leagues. Choices.

The format: The Valkyries can choose one player from each of the 12 active WNBA franchises, although there are some limitations. All teams had until November 25th to submit a list of up to six protected players, but the names of the ones left unprotected won’t be publicly revealed.

• While protecting players is common in expansion drafts, this lack of visibility may be a strategic move by the W. In past NWSL drafts, for example, publicizing unprotected players created backlash in locker rooms, with the league ultimately abolishing all drafts in its latest CBA.

The opportunity: Expansion draft sponsors (like Ally) are newer in women’s sports, but prominent W sponsors are activating around this one. Last week, insurance company State Farm backed the expansion draft after supporting the WNBA Draft for 12 years. And on Tuesday, used auto retailer Carmax also opted to present the expansion draft through its founding partnership with the Valkyries.

• This increased investment around the draft may be a result of the WNBA’s record-setting 2024 season and its successful entry draft this April — the event averaged 2.44M viewers, a 307% increase YoY. With this being the W’s first nationally televised expansion draft, exposure could boost sponsor media value.

Zooming out: When it comes to making a spectacle out of a draft, no one does it quite like the NFL, which averaged around 6M viewers and over 775K fans this year. Beyond viewership, the football league rotates its host cities and cultivates a media frenzy, turning Draft Day into a real moneymaker: It generated $213M in economic impact for Detroit this year.

• This will be the first expansion draft of many for the new-look WNBA, and utilizing an ESPN primetime slot could make it appointment viewing for the next few years. Even if the expansion draft doesn’t do numbers like the 2025 WNBA Draft starring Paige Bueckers undoubtedly will, it’s still a major opportunity for W partners to flaunt support. Easy buckets.