Phoenix will host the WNBA All-Star game on Saturday at Footprint Center downtown. Before that, there’ll be a three-point shooting contest and skills competition Friday, as well as WNBA Live, a fan experience at the Phoenix Convention Center.
All of this comes as the league is enjoying increased attendance and TV ratings. The All-Star game itself is sold out, and tickets in the resale market are selling for more than $100, up to a couple thousand dollars for front row seats.
With The Show to talk about the game and the league at the halfway point in the season is Cassandra Negley, women’s basketball writer for Yahoo Sports.
Full conversation
MARK BRODIE: There are a bunch of teams in playoff contention interest in the league is up. How would you describe where the WNBA is right now?
CASSANDRA NEGLEY: Yeah, it's been an interesting season so far. You have the Liberty at the top, which isn't that surprising. That's a team that has all five of their starters back, sas that chemistry for a second year was built to contend for a title. You have the Sun towards the top, which maybe is a little bit surprising, but we've seen them have success. Can this be the year? Obviously, Minnesota wins the Commissioner's Cup Championship, which again is a little bit of a surprise and we saw the Aces fall down the standings, which another super-surprise. This is supposed to be the potential three time champion.
Attendance is up around the league. Viewership is up around the league. I think just anecdotally, there's more people talking about the league, talking about Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark and all the players they're being introduced to. I think it's been one of the more fun seasons in recent years.
BRODIE: What is the buzz around this year's All Star Game and both within the league and maybe just sort of, you know, among fans and, you know, folks who are, who are, you know, interested in this league?
NEGLEY: I think within the league, the buzz is excitement because we're going to see Team USA versus Team WNBA. And the last time we saw this, Team WNBA won. This is an All Star Game that's actually going to feature defense that's actually going to feature maybe just some more tactics as Team USA gets ready for the Olympics. So it's not your average everyday All Star Game.
For fans. I think there is one thing and one main thing that they're looking forward to and it is Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark teaming up on Team WNBA.
BRODIE: It seems like particularly good luck for the city of Phoenix that this is the year that the All Star Game is here. I mean, attendance is up, viewership is up. There's just, there's a lot more attention on the WNBA maybe than there has been in years past.
NEGLEY: Yeah, the All Star game, I think in the past few years has sold really, really well, the WNBA has done a good job and I'm already saying this in Phoenix of really making it a fun few day event for fans with things like WNBA Live with activations around the city. I also think it's really cool that it's in Phoenix because we're seeing Diana Taurasi go on to the Olympics. Potentially one of her last All Star Games, we say this all the time. They're opening a practice facility, naming courts after her.
I really like that Phoenix has leaned into the history of the franchise and the history of the league because I think that's more important now than ever. And we don't see that a lot.
BRODIE: I mean, you mentioned Diana Taurasi, of course, Brittney Griner, here as well going off to the Olympics, I mean, is, could this potentially be a boost for the Mercury, for the rest of the season? Who are, you know, sort of looking to, to make the playoffs?
NEGLEY: Yeah, I absolutely think so. I was talking to Sophie Cunningham a couple of days ago about the break and what players who aren't on the Olympic team are planning on doing. She said, first and foremost, because it's Sophie, they're excited to go on vacation and take some time away, but they'll come back and practice together and bond together while the Olympians are away.
She actually mentioned the 2021 year, where Phoenix went on a run out of the break and they made it all the way to the finals as a number five or six seed. So we're going to see, I think coming out of this, a lot of,, turning of the standings of the table, some teams that maybe don't have a lot of Olympians or a team like the Mercury that know how to do this really succeed out of the break.
BRODIE: Yeah. So there's about a month or so break, after the All Star Game with the Olympics before everybody comes back in the WNBA regular season continues. What are you going to be looking for for the rest of the regular season?
NEGLEY: I'm gonna be looking for which team has the most momentum and continues to get better and better and better. It's great that the Liberty are sitting where they are right now, but they can't lose control of that. A team like Minnesota, can they get back that magic that took them to the Commissioner's Cup title?
And then teams like Angel Reese's Chicago and Caitlin Clark's Indiana, can they use this time as an extended training camp to really come together as a team and maybe surprise a few more teams at the top of the table and get in a good position for the playoffs.
BRODIE: Let me ask you, we've talked a little bit about how attendance and, and viewership is up. There's some news this week about the potential for a new media rights deal. A TV deal with the WNBA, which would be a pretty significant increase over what it has been. Although there are some in the league, including the head of the, the WNBA players union, who say it's, it's still undervalued, that the NBA is not giving the WNBA its due.
What is the conversation like sort of within the WNBA at this point about what that deal could mean and, and whether or not it's the right one?
NEGLEY: It's still really early. But the big thing is the number, as you said, this is, I think like four times what previous media packages have been and that's huge. We could see salaries go up, we could see more investment from owners. We're already seeing charter flights starting for the next couple of years and probably that will continue.
But I think much like we saw with the NCAA tournament on the women's side, is it being undervalued? Because we've seen viewership go up over the past few years, obviously taken a big hike this year that's only going to continue to grow and I believe the reported length of that media deal is 11 years. That's a really long time for a growing league. So there is some trepidation from players and fans and I think even some people around the league that they're selling themselves short.
BRODIE: Right now, are you hearing anything yet? I, you mentioned it, it's still very early. But are you hearing anything yet about an attempt on the part of anyone within the WNBA to maybe renegotiate that or try to get a little bit more out of the NBA’s deal.
NEGLEY: I haven't heard anything. There's reporting that in a couple of years they could opt to renegotiate that deal based on viewership. Cathy Engelbert has said for a long time now that they will try and make their own media deal where it makes sense versus working with the NBA, but the NBA still has some ownership of the WNBA. And I think at a certain point, the WNBA's hands are kind of tied in what exactly they can do.
