A look at ticket data for the WNBA ahead of the 2020 season
Following a frenzied period of free agency that saw WNBA stars like Skylar Diggins-Smith, Kristi Toliver and Courtney Williams change teams, web traffic for tickets has skyrocketed, according to new data from VividSeats.
The Phoenix Mercury, which acquired Skylar Diggins-Smith in a blockbuster deal last month, has received an 837% increase in interested customers compared to this time last year.
After announcing a move to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, a new head coach and exciting signings like Layshia Clarendon, the New York Liberty saw a 234% surge in the number of people viewing tickets. The Liberty also hold the No. 1 pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft.
Interest in tickets for other teams like the reigning WNBA champion Washington Mystics, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Indiana Fever, Dallas Wings and Seattle Storm all skyrocketed as well. Following their title win in 2019, the Mystics remain the most in-demand team for the new season.
University of Oregon star and likely No. 1 draft pick Sabrina Ionescu has enjoyed a historic senior season, breaking NCAA records for career triple-doubles*. During Ionescu’s time at Oregon, ticket prices for the women’s basketball team have consistently gone up each year. In 2016, a ticket to see the women play cost $26 while the men’s tickets cost $35 each. This year, tickets for the women’s team cost $50 and tickets for the men have gone down to $29 per game.
According to VividSeats, men aged 25 to 34 made up 27% of the web traffic for WNBA tickets while women in that same age demographic accounted for 14%.
* A previous version of this article incorrectly said Ionescu has also set records for points, rebounds and assists. We regret the error.
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