WNBA truths and fictions: the real state of the league in 2025

The WNBA is experiencing a surge in attendance driven by the excitement around star player Caitlin Clark and the overall growth of women's sports, yet it continues to face scrutiny over issues like refereeing, star power, media narratives, and the true definition of progress. Historically, the league overcame competition from the American Basketball League in the 1990s but later saw declining attendance and team instability, partly due to complacency after that victory.

Caitlin Clark has brought significant attention with her dazzling skills, such as extraordinary shooting range and passing ability, but she is still developing from being the league's most exciting player to its best. In her rookie year, her player efficiency rating (PER) of 18.8 lagged behind top forwards and centers like A'ja Wilson (34.9), Breanna Stewart (26.4), Brittney Griner (26.0), and Napheesa Collier (25.1), though she ranked third among guards and led the league in assists per game (8.4). However, she also led in turnovers (5.6 per game), and this season, injuries have caused her scoring and shooting numbers to drop significantly, potentially preventing a recovery in her averages due to the short WNBA season.

The league features multiple young "generational talent" guards, including Sabrina Ionescu, who overcame a slow start to earn three straight All-WNBA second-team selections; Paige Bueckers, whose rookie season rivals Clark's last year; and USC's JuJu Watkins, expected to join soon. All-Star voting highlighted disparities, with fans ranking Clark first and Ionescu fifth, while players were harsher on stars like Clark and Olympians such as Jackie Young (12th) and Kelsey Plum (16th). Media voters placed Clark third, suggesting a more balanced assessment.

A recent anonymous survey by The Athletic found a slim majority (53.8%) believe Clark will be the face of the WNBA in five years, followed by JuJu Watkins, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, and A'ja Wilson. Despite Clark's influence, the league is on track for record attendance, boosted not only by her presence but also by enthusiasm for the expansion Golden State Valkyries; ratings decline when she is injured but not drastically. This has helped highlight the skills of veterans like Wilson and Stewart, countering media narratives that often unfairly focus on Clark for team struggles, as seen with Allisha Gray escaping similar criticism despite her team's poor performance.

Media portrayals of women's basketball persist, exemplified by a Futurama cartoon reference that mocks the sport by emphasizing fundamentals over dunking ability, underscoring ongoing stereotypes the league contends with.