REVEALED: WNBA’s most valuable team – and it’s NOT Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever
Superstars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are credited with the WNBA’s massive rise in popularity, but neither of their teams — Indiana Fever or Chicago Sky — is the league’s richest.
The Dallas Wings, who are in last place this season, are the most valuable franchise in the league at $208 million, Front Office Sports reported Monday.
The value has reportedly increased by more than $100 million after two investors recently purchased a 1 percent stake in the team for $2.08 million.
Greg Bibb, CEO and co-owner of Wings, sold the 1 percent stake to businessmen Jed Kaplan and Randy Eisenman.
In June, Sportico valued the Wings at $75 million, the 11th-highest total in the WNBA. The reigning champion Las Vegas Aces were the No. 1 team at $140 million.
The WNBA’s most valuable team has been revealed, and it’s not Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever
The Dallas Wings are the richest franchise in the league, with a net worth of $208 million
The Wings are 6-19 this year, tied with the Washington Mystics.
“I would say the value of something is determined by what the market is willing to pay for it,” Bibb told Sports Business Journal.
“I can make a compelling case why that $208 million figure is justified.”
Kaplan is a minority owner of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, and Eisenman founded a local hedge fund.
Their investment reportedly comes at a time when the Wings are also experiencing an off-the-field resurgence, including a likely new television contract and a $19 million incentive from the city of Dallas to move from their current arena — College Park Center at the University of Texas at Arlington — to a renovated Memorial Coliseum in downtown Dallas in 2026.
The Coliseum has a seating capacity of 8,500, while the College Park Center has just over 6,000 seats.
Meanwhile, the WNBA as a whole has seen huge increases in television ratings, merchandise sales and game attendance in 2024.
Clark and fellow rookie Angel Reese helped the WNBA record a 1,000% increase in merchandise sales
The WNBA has also signed a new media rights package worth approximately $2.2 billion over 11 years
A superstar rookie class, led by Clark and Reese, has given the sport a huge boost in 2024
The competition also signed a new media rights package in July worth approximately $2.2 billion over 11 years, The Athletic reported.
This generates approximately $200 million annually, about four times the WNBA’s current media contracts with Disney, Ion, CBS and Amazon, which are estimated at $50 million annually.
This WNBA season alone has broken several records. Last month, the league announced that more than 400,000 fans attended games in May, the highest attendance in 26 years.
Additionally, the competition’s viewership has increased significantly since Clark and Reese arrived.
On ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and CBS, an average of 1.32 million people watch WNBA games, nearly three times as many as last season, when 462,200 people watched.