A Record-Setting Day for Women’s Basketball

Sunday was a groundbreaking day for women’s basketball, with multiple records shattered at both the professional and collegiate levels.

Iowa made history by hosting DePaul at Kinnick Stadium, the home of the Hawkeyes’ football team, for an exhibition game. The game set a women’s basketball attendance record with an incredible 55,646 fans in attendance.

Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, the New York Liberty triumphed over the Las Vegas Aces in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at the Barclays Center. Not only did the Liberty emerge victorious, but the game also achieved the highest gate receipt on record for the league. With a crowd of 17,143, this matchup generated more ticket revenue than any other WNBA game in history. Unfortunately, the exact dollar figure has not been disclosed by the Liberty.

Ticket prices for the WNBA Finals had already reached unprecedented levels in the lead-up to the event.

In addition, early viewership figures for the WNBA Finals have soared higher compared to previous seasons. The first two games of the series attracted audiences that were 13% larger than last year’s.

The Ascendance of Women’s Sports

This extraordinary day is just the latest evidence of the incredible growth of women’s sports.

Back in August, Nebraska’s women’s volleyball team drew an astounding crowd of 92,003 fans to Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium for Volleyball Day, emerging as the most well-attended women’s sports event in history.

Furthermore, the FIFA Women’s World Cup held this summer set its own attendance records in Australia and New Zealand.

The NWSL is also currently experiencing significant momentum in terms of expansion and viewership.