On a good night at Wintrust Arena, the sound hits you first — the bass of the music, the crowd roaring when Sky forward Angel Reese is introduced.
This year, there have been more of those nights than ever, and the numbers tell the attendance story. But they also reveal plot twists worth watching as the Sky — and the league — ride a wave of change.
Attendance rising
Rising attendance at Wintrust no longer can be seen as a flash in the pan. Back in 2019, before civilization shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, before a new audience opened its eyes to professional women’s basketball, 6,748 fans were filing in on an average night.
Today, that number is up to 9,471. It’s even higher than in 2022, when the Sky had one of the league’s most exciting teams and a chance at the title. That’s right: Significantly larger crowds are showing up for a drifting, 8-24 team this year than they were for a contender three years ago.
And there’s more good news. The Sky have sold out seven games this season, including two at the United Center. For a team with a 25% win rate to sell out more than 40% of its home games is saying something.
But will that momentum continue without the Sky’s biggest star?
The Reese Effect
Reese has missed the last seven home games with a back injury, and Wintrust attendance has dropped to an average of 7,560. No shocker there. She returned to practice this week, but with no real shot at the playoffs, there’s no reason to rush her back. Whether she plays again this season is an open question. So is the Sky’s place in a hyper-growth league.
Competing in the hyper-growth era
Growth is solid for the Sky. Elsewhere, it’s exploding. The expansion Valkyries are on pace for the highest attendance in WNBA history. Caitlin Clark’s Fever and Ellie the Elephant’s Liberty are regularly filling NBA arenas. Despite their steady growth, the Sky rank ninth out of 13 teams in attendance — a dynamic for fans to keep an eye on as they try to keep up with teams with deeper pockets and bigger venues.
What the naysayers are saying
Scoffers will tell you the WNBA’s attendance wave is because of a handful of stars such as Clark and the Wings’ Paige Bueckers. And there’s truth to it: The Sky’s two sellouts at the UC were against the Fever, and two of their five sellouts at Wintrust came against Bueckers’ Wings.
But is it really bad for a league to be driven by young stars, especially when more are on the way? Azzi Fudd, Olivia Miles and Flau’Jae Johnson all have national followings and are set to join the league next year. That is, as long as there’s a league to join.
The CBA wild card
The WNBA and the players’ union still need to come up with a new collective bargaining agreement, but the sides left their meeting during All-Star weekend with vastly different takeaways. The WNBA called the talks “constructive.” The union called them a “wasted opportunity.”
Union secretary Elizabeth Williams told the Sun-Times this week that players remain “adamant” about resolving salaries first before moving on to other issues. She thinks the league might finally be getting that message after the latest meeting.
“It gives me, like, this much hope,” Williams said, holding her thumb and forefinger a sliver apart.