00:00Over the last two years, the WNBA's business has soared above the rim.
00:05League-wide attendance in 2024 was up 48% year-over-year,
00:09with more than 54 million unique viewers tuning into national telecasts.
00:13Still, beyond a handful of transactions involving tiny slivers of teams,
00:18there hasn't been much data to suggest how the momentum is translating to franchise valuations.
00:23That is about to change.
00:25Ranking at number one on our WNBA's Most Valuable Teams list,
00:29the New York Liberty recently sold a significant minority share at a $450 million valuation.
00:36The Connecticut Sun, number 11 on the list, are currently on the market,
00:39seeking either a new limited partner or a control sale.
00:44Forbes pegs the Sun at $200 million this year in its first-ever ranking of the WNBA's Most Valuable Teams.
00:51For now, some investment bankers around the sport believe that the economics of the Sun
00:55and other teams near the bottom of the WNBA's financial leaderboard don't justify even a $100 million price tag.
01:03But, with demand from would-be owners far outstripping supply in the 13-team league,
01:08many WNBA insiders believe the cost to acquire Connecticut could approach Cleveland's ongoing bid
01:14for an expansion franchise believed to be roughly $250 million.
01:19The Atlanta Dream, just behind the Sun, set the league's floor at $190 million,
01:25and the average for the WNBA's existing 12 teams sits at $272 million.
01:31For instance, Liberty owners Joe Tsai and Clara Usai reportedly paid between $10 million and $14 million
01:38for the team in 2019, and in 2021, Mark Davis bought the Las Vegas Aces for $2 million,
01:45while a group led by Larry Gottesteiner purchased the Atlanta Dream for a price similarly believed to be in the seven figures.
01:52Most obviously, there's the so-called Caitlin Clark effect,
01:56the wave of interest surrounding Indiana Fever's superstar guard, which currently ranks second on our list.
02:02At the same time, the WNBA's upward trajectory extends well beyond Clark,
02:07starting with other young stars such as Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese and Dallas Wings rookie Paige Beckers.
02:14Expansion teams in Toronto and Portland, and the league's 16th franchise,
02:18which most expect to be in Cleveland, should come with a substantial increase too.
02:23Meanwhile, the Valkyries have booked jaw-dropping sponsorship and ticket sales for 2025,
02:28and WNBA insiders expect them to lead the list of the league's most valuable clubs in their debut appearance next year,
02:35showing just how quickly the landscape is evolving.
02:38For a full ranking of the WNBA's most valuable teams,
02:41check out the article at the link in the description.
02:43To be continued...
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