It’s been a steady rise for the WNBA. The league is on great footing as they enter into its 30th season this spring. With the Collective Bargaining Agreement resolved, excitement is through the roof and fans will be in store for something special. As we gear up for an exciting future, it helps to reflect on the journey that got us here.
Keia Clarke has been with the New York Liberty for 15 years. During that time, she rose from the marketing department all the way up to the Chief Executive Officer role. Clarke became CEO during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Liberty have dramatically changed since then. Attendance has risen each season since 2021, and the team is now one of the most successful and valuable in sports.
It’s been a long road to this point, but the belief in the WNBA has always been there.
“From the beginning, there was optimism and real conviction about what women’s basketball could become,” Clarke wrote in Time Magazine. “But belief and scale are not the same thing. The early years proved the concept; they did not yet build the engine. You cannot grow a billion-dollar enterprise on enthusiasm alone. Sustained growth requires sustained infrastructure. Elite performance requires elite conditions.”
With a new CBA, teams now have minimum standards as it relates to practice facilities, medical staffing, etc. The Liberty, looking to stay one step ahead of the competition, are building a new practice facility that is slated to open in 2027
The franchise has done a lot to be one of the WNBA’s best, and as they move in to the future, things are looking up.
The WNBA is building bridges
As the WNBA enters its next era, they will look to bring even more fans on the journey with them. The team has worked to make their presence known across New York as they support various aspects of Brooklyn living. Giving back to the community serves a variety of purposes and has a plethora of benefits across generations.
“We are now entering the era of generational fandom,” Clarke wrote. “Children are growing up with Liberty gear hanging next to Yankees caps. Fans who once cheered for Teresa Weatherspoon and Lisa Leslie are now bringing their own children—sons and daughters—to WNBA games.
In my own family, the impact is deeply personal. My daughter sees women celebrated as powerful, skilled, and central to the sports world. But in many ways, it is just as important for my son. He is growing up seeing women’s excellence in sports as normal, not niche. That normalization is how cultural change and new consumer behaviors take root.”
2026 promises to be a special year. The WNBA is in a great place and will have labor peace for years to come. As we look ahead, it’s instructive to look at our past. The past is instructive and teaches us valuable lessons. With people like Keia Clarke leading the way, the WNBA has a chance to make the next 30 years even more special.