Yes, some longtime WNBA season-ticket holders are facing steep renewal increases—but the reported cases vary by team, seat and package, so they do not prove that every fan or market has become unaffordable. The tension is real: the league reported record attendance for 2025, while recent reporting found large increases in some 2027 renewals.
WNBA attendance is rising
The league’s 2026 partnership playbook says the 2025 season drew 3.1 million total attendees and had 179 sellouts, making it the WNBA’s highest-attendance season to date. The league also said attendance grew 33% year over year.
That followed a sharp rise in 2024. The WNBA reported 2,353,735 attendees that season, up 48% from 2023, and an average of 9,807 fans per game, compared with 6,615 the year before. These figures describe attendance, not what fans paid or whether seats were affordable. The league’s 2024 season announcement also reported 154 sellouts, up from 45 in 2023.
Attendance growth and affordability can move in opposite directions for individual fans. A fuller building may reflect a larger audience, strong demand, or more sellouts; it does not establish how much a typical ticket costs or how renewal prices changed across the league.
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Some 2027 renewals show substantial increases
Recent reporting on renewals for the 2027 season documents sizeable increases for certain holders in Minnesota, Washington and Phoenix. These are specific invoices, pricing-chart figures and interviews—not a league-wide average.
| Team and example | Reported change | What the figure represents |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Lynx | Among 15 holders whose invoices were reviewed by the Minnesota Star Tribune, increases ranged from 15.3% to 47.3%, averaging 28.7%. | Reported 2027 renewal changes for that small group of holders; not every Lynx seat. |
| Minnesota Lynx | One longtime holder’s two seats rose from $4,388 in 2024 to $11,730 for 2027, a reported 167% increase over three years. | The total for those two seats across the stated seasons. |
| Washington Mystics | One floor-seat renewal rose 48%, from $6,907.50 to $10,200. A pricing chart reviewed by Front Office Sports showed per-game increases of roughly 22% to 50%. | One holder’s renewal and reported per-game chart changes, respectively. |
| Phoenix Mercury | One courtside ticket rose 60%, from $9,100 to $14,600. | A reported premium-seat renewal example, not a typical ticket. |
The Lynx figures come from the Minnesota Star Tribune’s review of holder invoices. The Washington and Phoenix examples come from Front Office Sports’ reporting on renewal offers and pricing.
Compare the renewal bill with the per-game price
A season-ticket package can cost more because the per-game price rises, because the package includes more home games, or both. Front Office Sports reported that the WNBA’s 2027 schedule was set to increase from 22 to 25 home games per team. That is 13.6% more games in a package if all are included; it does not explain the full reported Washington per-game increases of roughly 22% to 50% shown on the chart the outlet reviewed.
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When a renewal offer arrives, compare like with like:
- Total package cost: Check whether the new total covers the same number of seats and games as the previous package.
- Per-game cost: Divide the package total by the number of games included, then compare equivalent seat locations and fees if those details are available.
- Seat tier: A floor or courtside renewal is not a useful proxy for a standard-section ticket. Front Office Sports reported the sharpest Phoenix increases were on premium and courtside seats.
- Official price versus resale: A team renewal or box-office price is different from what a reseller asks. Front Office Sports reported Washington’s SeatGeek resale ticket price was up 26% year over year and its average resale price was $146 for the season; that is a one-team resale-market figure, not the Mystics’ official face value or a league average.
Washington’s CareFirst Arena holds about 4,200 people, according to Front Office Sports. Arena capacity is one piece of context for supply, but it cannot by itself explain a particular increase or establish what fans in other markets will pay.
Teams, not the players’ union, set ticket prices
Some ticket representatives reportedly attributed renewal increases to the new collective bargaining agreement and higher player salaries. The Mystics told Front Office Sports that player salary increases were not a factor and cited rising operating costs; the team said any representative who had blamed the increases on player salaries had done so in error. The competing explanations are reported claims, not proof of what caused each price change.
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WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson told Front Office Sports: “If fans are being told that ticket price increases are because of the new CBA, that is inaccurate. Ticket pricing is a business decision made by individual teams and their ownership groups. The WNBPA and its members are neither consulted on nor involved in those decisions.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Some longtime fans are weighing changes rather than canceling
The reported price increases do not mean every interviewed holder plans to leave. The Star Tribune reported that none of 20 Lynx season-ticket holders it interviewed planned to cancel for 2027, though some considered buying fewer seats, moving to a cheaper section or redirecting savings to cover the renewal. That small interview group offers a glimpse of possible responses, not a measure of all fans’ plans.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchFor one Mystics holder quoted anonymously by Front Office Sports, the new price crossed a personal limit: “As much as I love it, my love for it can’t sustain the pricing anymore.” Longtime Lynx holder Kathy Lee told the Star Tribune, “I’ve kind of had the feeling the last year or two with these price increases that I may get priced out at some point.”
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If a renewal is no longer workable, compare the actual options on your account before deciding: keeping fewer seats, checking lower-priced sections, or buying individual games instead of a full package may change the total cost. Individual-game availability and prices will depend on the team, opponent, seat and purchase timing; resale prices can also fluctuate.
What the evidence does—and does not—show
The WNBA is growing, and reports from three markets show that some season-ticket holders face steep increases, particularly for certain renewals and premium seats. The available figures do not establish a league-wide average increase in official ticket prices or prove that every longtime fan is being priced out. Attendance is a league-level measure; the reported renewal costs are local examples, and the two should not be treated as interchangeable.
The league’s 2024 impact report also recorded jersey sales up 801% year over year. Merchandise can be another way to support a team, but it does not make a ticket affordable or replace the experience of attending a game.
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