WNBA Attendance Tue night

[shizam]

Mercury at Liberty 1,800
Sun at Mystics 4,200
Storm at Lynx 8,400
Wings at Sparks 10,000

Lynx, Sparks and Mercury have the best fan bases. Storm a distant 4th. No one else draws. That’s 8 of 12 teams that struggle getting fans to see them

 

[Orangutan]

Mercury at Liberty 1,800
Sun at Mystics 4,200
Storm at Lynx 8,400
Wings at Sparks 10,000

Lynx, Sparks and Mercury have the best fan bases. Storm a distant 4th. No one else draws. That’s 8 of 12 teams that struggle getting fans to see them

The last three franchises to win championships have the "best fan bases". No surprise there.

It is what it is, a niche product.

 

[shizam]

Mystics last two home games have looked empty. Sunday 4,300 and Tue 4,200. Team avg has to be way down from 2017 and they have a more exciting team this year. That arena is too big.
Haven’t seen any Las Vegas att numbers yet.
Here’s 2017 attendance by team
WNBA Draws Best Average Attendance Since '11; L.A. Sparks Lead League With 18% Gain

 

[uconnfan68]

Mercury at Liberty 1,800
Sun at Mystics 4,200
Storm at Lynx 8,400
Wings at Sparks 10,000

Lynx, Sparks and Mercury have the best fan bases. Storm a distant 4th. No one else draws. That’s 8 of 12 teams that struggle getting fans to see them

Whats capacity at new Liberty locale? Isn’t it around that 1800?

 

[JoePgh]

The Sun game last night was an away game. At home, the Sun typically draw at least 6,000 and can be over 8,000 for big games.

Another data point: An ESPN announcer mentioned this morning on Sports Center that the network had seen a spike this. year in the ratings of WNBA games on ESPN2.

 

[Carnac]

Whats capacity at new Liberty locale? Isn’t it around that 1800?

Posters in the New York area accurately predicted this decline in attendance because of the team's move out of MSG.
It's got to be disheartening to the players, when just before the tip, they look up into the stands and see so many empty seats.

The owner had the team up for sale during the off season. With attendance numbers like this, we can expect to see the team put up for sale again in the near future. I'd like to believe there is a city somewhere in the US that would embrace and support this franchise and the WNBA.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Posters in the New York area accurately predicted this decline in attendance because of the team's move out of MSG.
It's got to be disheartening to the players, when just before the tip, they look up into the stands and see so many empty seats.

The owner had the team up for sale during the off season. With attendance numbers like this, we can expect to see the team put up for sale again in the near future. I'd like to believe there is a city somewhere in the US that would embrace and support this franchise and the WNBA.

The UConn players saw as many people in the stands at practices as they are seeing at games.

Washington led the league in attendance in the early years. They opened the upper deck and had 15,000 people there, though they gave away thousands of tickets. They will have a much smaller arena in a different part of town in another year or two. I’m concerned they will have a drop-off, as NY did, because of the location.

 

[Carnac]

Mercury at Liberty 1,800
Sun at Mystics 4,200
Storm at Lynx 8,400
Wings at Sparks 10,000

Lynx, Sparks and Mercury have the best fan bases. Storm a distant 4th. No one else draws. That’s 8 of 12 teams that struggle getting fans to see them

There are a lot of basketball fans here in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Despite the fact that there are a lot of other entertainment options available here, there are a lot of genuine basketball fans that are hooked on Sparks basketball. I'll go to a Sparks game before I'd go to a Lakers or Clippers game. I like the WNBA!!!

I remember most of the current players when they were in college. I liked them then, I like them now. I must confess that while I didn't particularly care for Skylar Diggins-Smith or Lindsey Allen while they were at ND, I like them now. They play on teams that I like and follow. I don't hold grudges. I now root for them both. I even like A'ja Wilson.

I attended the Las Vegas Aces inaugural home opener last month (versus the Seattle Storm) and really enjoyed it. Not only did I enjoy the game for the game, but because I also bumped into Stewie as she was walking through the events center's hotel casino with a teammate. She wasn't hard to recognize. She was nice and gracious enough to pause and take a picture with me. I still follow ALL of the active UConn alums, and check the box scores for every game.

Being at a Sparks game is almost like being at a Laker's game..........almost. It's not uncommon to see a celebrity (or Laker/Clippers players, or UCLA/USC basketball players) or two there sitting courtside. Believe it or not, a Sparks game is the place to be on game night.

 

[j66kicker]

Whats capacity at new Liberty locale? Isn’t it around that 1800?

5000

Westchester County Center - Wikipedia

Liberty were drawing 10,000 at MSG, so the new venue guaranteed to at least cut that in half. But in fact they’re drawing under 2,000 there.

 

[GiladKatzDeli]

5000

Westchester County Center - Wikipedia

Liberty were drawing 10,000 at MSG, so the new venue guaranteed to at least cut that in half. But in fact they’re drawing under 2,000 there.

I would go to 3-4 Liberty games a year when they played at MSG, but I have no interest in going to Westchester. They'd be better off playing in Brooklyn, IMO

 

[RockyMTblue2]

5000

Westchester County Center - Wikipedia

Liberty were drawing 10,000 at MSG, so the new venue guaranteed to at least cut that in half. But in fact they’re drawing under 2,000 there.

Have you been to the WCC? It's a dismal venue. Some medium sized NBA market should pick the team up. They are orphans.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Have you been to the WCC? It's a dismal venue. Some medium sized NBA market should pick the team up. They are orphans.

It looks like a low-level minor league arena. Or a mid-major college arena. Isn’t there a middle ground between this and “the world’s most famous arena”?

 

[Kaizen]

Well, they are all better than JBA attendance.

Ugly sequence sums up what is wrong with LaVar Ball's JBA league

 

[tazmaz]

Posters in the New York area accurately predicted this decline in attendance because of the team's move out of MSG.
It's got to be disheartening to the players, when just before the tip, they look up into the stands and see so many empty seats.

The owner had the team up for sale during the off season. With attendance numbers like this, we can expect to see the team put up for sale again in the near future. I'd like to believe there is a city somewhere in the US that would embrace and support this franchise and the WNBA.

Here in Sacramento they would support a team. Rumor is Warriors and Kings ownership are entertaining a team.

 

[triaddukefan]

Have you been to the WCC? It's a dismal venue. Some medium sized NBA market should pick the team up. They are orphans.

I would love for the WNBA to return to Charlotte ... But I sure as heck wouldn't want the liberty to be that team. The hornets are bad enough.... Wouldn't want two garbage basketball teams in the same city.

 

[psconn]

Mystics last two home games have looked empty. Sunday 4,300 and Tue 4,200. Team avg has to be way down from 2017 and they have a more exciting team this year. That arena is too big.
Haven’t seen any Las Vegas att numbers yet.
Here’s 2017 attendance by team
WNBA Draws Best Average Attendance Since '11; L.A. Sparks Lead League With 18% Gain

Las Vegas Aces are #7 in the league averaging 5,731, a couple hundred less than the #6 Sun. Although I wish it were more, it is remarkable that a team located in the woods of Uncasville, CT is outdrawing major metro franchises like NY, Atlanta, Dallas, DC, Indianapolis and Las Vegas. Averages as of today...

WNBA- 6,300

LA- 9,928
PHO- 9,802
MIN- 9,245
SEA- 6,493
CHI- 5,991
CT- 5,939
LV- 5,731
IND- 5,504
WAS- 5,500
DAL - 4,899
ATL- 4,295
NY- 2,381

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I would love for the WNBA to return to Charlotte ... But I sure as heck wouldn't want the liberty to be that team. The hornets are bad enough.... Wouldn't want two garbage basketball teams in the same city.

Uh Oh ... what you said!

 

[Carnac]

Here in Sacramento they would support a team. Rumor is Warriors and Kings ownership are entertaining a team.

As the home base of the NBA champion Warriors, I wonder how much support a WNBA franchise would get there in the bay area?

 

[triaddukefan]

Uh Oh ... what you said!

Did I lie?

Hopefully the Liberty can play in Newark next season . like they did when Madison Square Garden was being renovated

 

[Orangutan]

As the home base of the NBA champion Warriors, I wonder how much support a WNBA franchise would get there in the bay area?

I think by now most of the hardcore basketball fans that supported the Warriors through the lean years (decades) have been displaced by tech bros and other assorted rich folks. So I think there actually may be a market for pro basketball at affordable prices there.

 

[Carnac]

I think by now most of the hardcore basketball fans that supported the Warriors through the lean years (decades) have been displaced by tech bros and other assorted rich folks. So I think there actually may be a market for pro basketball at affordable prices there.

The WNBA had a franchise in Sacramento (The Monarchs) from 1997–2009 until folding on November 20, 2009. They played their home games at ARCO Arena. The Monarchs were one of the WNBA's eight original franchises. They were the sister franchise of the Sacramento Kings National Basketball Association (NBA) team. They were one of the more successful WNBA franchises on the court, though they often trailed behind perennial Western Conference champions the Houston Comets and the Los Angeles Sparks. However, in 2005, the team brought Sacramento a championship winning the WNBA Finals for the only time under head coach John Whisenant.

It was revealed on November 20, 2009 that the Maloof family would no longer operate the Monarchs. The league attempted to re-locate the Monarchs to the San Francisco Bay area, but on December 8, 2009 it was announced that new ownership could not be found and a dispersal draft would be held on December 14, 2009.

To date, the Monarchs were the last WNBA team to cease operations. They may want to try their luck in the bay area at some point in the future. There may be a market for them now. Stanford and The University of California - Berkeley are the only Division 1 MAJOR women's basketball programs in the area. There are several "mid-major" D1 women's programs also in the Northern California area.

If a relocated franchise could win, they would have a following. Look at how Las Vegas adopted and embraced their new hockey franchise - The Golden Knights, that kept winning, and winning, and winning and went all the way to the Stanley Cup finals in their inaugural season. Believe me, Las Vegas loves their Golden Knights!!!

 

[shizam]

As the home base of the NBA champion Warriors, I wonder how much support a WNBA franchise would get there in the bay area?

I can’t see WNBA doing well in SF. Sacramento for sure. Nothing to do here but a lousy Kings team. The market really liked the Monarchs but the Maloofs ran into financial difficulties with their casino biz.

 

[shizam]

The WNBA had a franchise in Sacramento (The Monarchs) from 1997–2009 until folding on November 20, 2009. They played their home games at ARCO Arena. The Monarchs were one of the WNBA's eight original franchises. They were the sister franchise of the Sacramento Kings National Basketball Association (NBA) team. They were one of the more successful WNBA franchises on the court, though they often trailed behind perennial Western Conference champions the Houston Comets and the Los Angeles Sparks. However, in 2005, the team brought Sacramento a championship winning the WNBA Finals for the only time under head coach John Whisenant.

It was revealed on November 20, 2009 that the Maloof family would no longer operate the Monarchs. The league attempted to re-locate the Monarchs to the San Francisco Bay area, but on December 8, 2009 it was announced that new ownership could not be found and a dispersal draft would be held on December 14, 2009.

To date, the Monarchs were the last WNBA team to cease operations. They may want to try their luck in the bay area at some point in the future. There may be a market for them now. Stanford and The University of California - Berkeley are the only division 1 MAJOR women's basketball programs in the area. There are several "mid-major" D1 women's programs also in the northern California area.

If a relocated franchise could win, they would have a following. Look at how Las Vegas adopted and supported their new hockey franchise - The Golden Knights, that kept winning, and went all the way to the Stanley Cup finals in their inaugural season. Believe me, Las Vegas loves their Golden Knights!!!

Cal has trouble getting fans to games. They did pull 5,000 fans on Dec 18 2014 (huuuge crowd for them) a Lou-a-vul win in a barnburner I was at. Sara Hammond and Shawnte Dyer were the difference. Boyd and Gray were terrific. Haas Pavilion is a cool place.
Best performance I’ve seen was the first game I saw Jordin Canada her soph year at Haas. I’ve never seen drives/moves from a college player like that. Cal won 108-104 in 2 OT’s.