Ramona ShelburneMay 1, 2026, 06:49 AM ETCloseSenior writer for ESPN.comSpent seven years at the Los Angeles Daily NewsFollow on XMultiple Authors
For the second straight year the Golden State Valkyries top Sportico’s annual WNBA franchise valuations.
Sportico has Golden State at a whopping $850 million valuation after they posted a WNBA-record $78 million in revenue in their inaugural season — thanks to a season-ticket base that topped 10,000 — and sponsorships. Golden State cut off 2026 season-ticket sales at more than 12,000. In 2025 the Valkyries were valued at $500 million — a tenfold increase on their then-record $50 million purchase price in 2023.
Rounding out the top five are the New York Liberty ($600 million), Indiana Fever ($560 million), Seattle Storm ($425 million) and Phoenix Mercury ($420 million).
The 13 WNBA franchises that played in 2025 are worth a combined $5.55 billion. The average of $427 million is up 59% over last year on top of a sports-team-record 180% gain the prior year. Toronto and Portland, which start play in 2026, were not included in the valuations.
The Connecticut Sun were recently sold to the Fertitta family at a $300 million valuation, while the last three expansion franchises were awarded with a $250 million fee each.
The 13 clubs generated $407 million in revenue, or $31 million per club, during the 2025 season. National WNBA revenue will jump in 2026, with new TV deals worth $281 million a year on average.
Sportico’s team values in other U.S. sports leagues show the average team in the NFL at $7.13 billion, NBA at $5.51 billion, F1 at $3.42 billion, MLB at $3.17 billion, NHL at $2.1 billion, global soccer at $1.91 billion, MLS at $767 million, and NWSL team at $184 million.
Ramona ShelburneMay 1, 2026, 06:49 AM ETCloseSenior writer for ESPN.comSpent seven years at the Los Angeles Daily NewsFollow on XMultiple Authors
CloseSenior writer for ESPN.comSpent seven years at the Los Angeles Daily NewsFollow on X
Crowd erupts after Monique Billings’ and-1 (0:23)Monique Billings finished with a bucket and a foul, much to the delight of the home crowd in the 2025 WNBA postseason. (0:23)
Ramona ShelburneMay 1, 2026, 06:49 AM ETCloseSenior writer for ESPN.comSpent seven years at the Los Angeles Daily NewsFollow on XMultiple AuthorsOpen Extended ReactionsFor the second straight year the Golden State Valkyries top Sportico’s annual WNBA franchise valuations.Much like the Golden State Warriors in the NBA, the Valkyries are light-years ahead of the rest of their league in terms of valuation and monetization.Sportico has Golden State at a whopping $850 million valuation after they posted a WNBA-record $78 million in revenue in their inaugural season — thanks to a season-ticket base that topped 10,000 — and sponsorships. Golden State cut off 2026 season-ticket sales at more than 12,000. In 2025 the Valkyries were valued at $500 million — a tenfold increase on their then-record $50 million purchase price in 2023.Rounding out the top five are the New York Liberty ($600 million), Indiana Fever ($560 million), Seattle Storm ($425 million) and Phoenix Mercury ($420 million).The 13 WNBA franchises that played in 2025 are worth a combined $5.55 billion. The average of $427 million is up 59% over last year on top of a sports-team-record 180% gain the prior year. Toronto and Portland, which start play in 2026, were not included in the valuations.The Atlanta Dream ($280 million) rank No. 13.The Connecticut Sun were recently sold to the Fertitta family at a $300 million valuation, while the last three expansion franchises were awarded with a $250 million fee each.The 13 clubs generated $407 million in revenue, or $31 million per club, during the 2025 season. National WNBA revenue will jump in 2026, with new TV deals worth $281 million a year on average.Sportico’s team values in other U.S. sports leagues show the average team in the NFL at $7.13 billion, NBA at $5.51 billion, F1 at $3.42 billion, MLB at $3.17 billion, NHL at $2.1 billion, global soccer at $1.91 billion, MLS at $767 million, and NWSL team at $184 million.