Let’s take a closer look at the specific numbers.
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Indiana Fever players kneel during the national anthem on September 21, 2016.
Wednesday’s game could be the final game for star Tamika Catchings and coach Stephanie White if the Fever lose.
On the year, the highest average attendance for the Phoenix Mercury was 10,351 which is a franchise best since 1999. IN actually led the game by three at halftime, but Phoenix dominated the second half. ESPN/ESPN2 telecasts averaged 224,000 viewers in 2016, an 11 percent jump over last season. WNBA.com saw a 22 percent increase in monthly unique visitors, and a 50 percent jump in video views.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Between Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and snap chat, the league surpassed 12 million likes and followers, which includes interactions between the league, teams and player social media platforms.
Back in May, WNBA president Lisa Borders laid out four areas of measurement to evaluate the WNBA’s 2016 season: attendance, television ratings, sponsorship and merchandise sales. She scored 19 points in Phoenix’s 79-65 win at in on August 31, the teams’ most recent meeting.
MERCHANDISE: This season saw record sales on WNBAStore.com, an increase of 30% over previous year with Breanna Stewart and the Seattle Storm capturing the top spot on the list of best-selling jerseys and team merchandise.
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The league has grown, and more individuals have taken notice, which is evident in the positive numbers across the board.
