On Monday, the Dallas Wings drafted UConn star Paige Bueckers first overall, and she’s expected to bring comparable economic impact as fellow W star Caitlin Clark did when she was drafted by the Indianapolis Fever last year. Let’s review how Clark boosted the local economy and elevated the Fever to one of the league’s most coveted brands.

While viewership of this year’s NCAA women’s March Madness did dip in the post–Caitlin Clark era, women’s basketball fandom is certainly here to stay. The tournament wrapped with a dominant UConn win over South Carolina and so much more: A sold-out crowd, historic audiences, and promising growth.

Yesterday, the WNBA and its Changemaker Collective — a group of community-focused brands — extended a key partnership with women-focused digital platform Voice in Sport (VIS). By collaborating with VIS, the W and its partners are able to reach a passionate Gen Z and Gen Alpha fanbase that’s looking to stay involved in basketball, both as players and fans.

During its record-breaking 2024 season, the WNBA saw a massive viewership jump across networks — especially when Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark graced the screen. And based on its 2025 regular-season schedule unveiled last week, the W is doubling down on 2024’s wins with increased broadcast exposure, giving an easy assist to its partners.

Unrivaled enjoyed a strong debut in its inaugural season, but some are concerned the novelty has worn off. With the exception of its 1v1 tournament, league viewership has petered off since January, with TNT Sports execs telling the Sports Business Journal’s Mollie Cahillane they believe the league should consider touring to reach new markets.

Last Friday, WNBA stars Angel Reese and DiJonai Carrington spoke on Reese’s Unapologetically Angel podcast about upcoming CBA negotiations. According to them, the sentiment around the league is that if players don’t get certain table stakes, they’re ready to walk.

With Caitlin Clark at the helm, the Indiana Fever is seeing marketing opportunities like never before, so the team wants to capitalize to build a legacy brand. Fever president of basketball operations Kelly Krauskopf has said she envisions the team as an “enduring brand like Apple.”

Yesterday, OneTeam Partners — an agency that represents several pro athlete unions — announced a transformative partnership with 3v3 women’s basketball league Unrivaled and the WNBPA. Through the agreement, Unrivaled now owns group licensing rights for WNBPA athletes, meaning that the league (and its players) can finally capitalize on NIL–driven products and branding.

Hartbeat — the new multichannel entertainment company founded by comedian Kevin Hart — is diving deep into the basketball world with a WNBA–driven partnership. Yesterday, Hartbeat announced its partnership with Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PS&E) to serve as its official “cultural curator” to merge sport, entertainment, and culture in Indiana and beyond.

It’s no secret that the NBA has been losing viewership in recent years, something the league has often sought to address with creative and successful solutions inspired by women’s basketball. These learnings could lead to increased collaboration between men’s and women’s hoops, including a shift in how the men’s game interacts with the women’s.

Unrivaled is leaning into its name with its inaugural 1v1 tournament, an uncommon format in pro basketball leagues like the WNBA and NBA. Although the idea of an in-season tournament and a casual 1v1 knockout tourney isn’t new, capitalizing on both concepts in a professional league is.

Yesterday, sports data platform Relo Metrics released a report on 2024 sponsorship across six major American sports leagues, including the WNBA. The leagues generated over $11B in sponsor media value (SMV) amid a 15% jump YoY in sports sponsorship, meaning this space is more profitable than ever — especially in rising leagues like the WNBA.