WNBA Season Begins Tonight: Here's What You Should Know!
The 2024 WNBA season begins Tuesday night and there's a buzz of excitement in the air.
As the new season is about to begin, there are also new developments for the league including charter flights and a name for the newest team that will debut next season.
The 2024 WNBA Season Tips Off Tuesday Night!
The 2024 WNBA season is shaping up to be the most anticipated in the league's history.
Interest in the league has reached new heights with viewership numbers breaking records last season. As a fresh draft class of beloved college athletes embarks on their professional journey this season, enthusiasts are primed for a WNBA season poised to shatter records.
This year holds significant promise for the WNBA. The league's opening night follows a historic women's college basketball season, marked by a larger audience for the women's title game compared to the men's—a testament to the growing enthusiasm for women's basketball.
Tuesday night's season openers will have eight teams on the court.
New York Liberty at Washington Mystics at 7 p.m. ET
Indiana Fever at Connecticut Sun at 7:30 p.m. ET
Phoenix Mercury at Las Vegas Aces at 10 p.m. ET
Minnesota Lynx at Seattle Storm at 10 p.m. ET
The regular season runs through September 19 and includes each team playing 40 games. The playoffs run from late September to early October.
Caitlin Clark Makes Her WNBA Debut Tuesday Night!
Former Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark will make her WNBA debut Tuesday night. The Indiana Fever guard has generated a lot of buzz and many are excited to see her in action with her new team.
The anticipation surrounding her debut season in the league has led to a surge in Fever season ticket sales and has sold out arenas. The Las Vegas Aces and the Washington Mystics both relocated their game against the Fever to larger venues to help meet the increased demand for tickets.
Clark, the No. 1 draft pick this season, caused a commotion after being drafted. Vivid Seats traffic spiked by 62% on the Fever's page, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Her jerseys also sold out at Fanatics and the wait to get one is months long.
Angel Reese's WNBA Debut Is Wednesday Night
Another player who's debuting in the league this season is former LSU star Angel Reese.
The No. 7 draft pick is set to make her league debut with her team, the Chicago Sky, on Wednesday when they go up against the Dallas Wings at 8 p.m. ET.
Reese was the NCAA tournament's Most Outstanding Player in 2023 and went on to become the SEC Player of the Year during her senior year.
Known to her fans during her college years as the "Bayou Barbie," she recently announced a new nickname.
"Hey y'all, so it's the 'Chi Barbie' here," she said in a recent TikTok video.
"I'm still gonna be the 'Bayou Barbie' but I'm going to Chicago now, so they basically already been inheriting me into Chicago, so many people have reached out to me. The love of Chicago is running deep and going crazy, so I'm the 'Chi Barbie,' I'm the 'Baltimore Barbie,' and I'm always gonna be the 'Bayou Barbie.'"
The WNBA Aims To Have All Teams Flying Charter This Season
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It was recently announced that the league is shooting to have all teams flying charter this season after some issues in previous seasons.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert told sports editors at a recent league meeting, "The WNBA will begin charter travel for all 12 of its teams this season 'as soon as we logistically can get planes in places.' We intend to fund a full-time charter for this season. We're going to as soon as we can get it up and running."
The Fever was the first team this season to fly charter. They shared a behind-the-scenes video and some photos on Instagram on Monday of their trip to Connecticut for their season opener.
The Minnesota Lynx also flew on a charter plane to their first game against the Seattle Storm.
The League's Newest Team Now Has A Name!
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The newest team in the league now has a name!
Robin Roberts had the pleasure of announcing the name of the new Golden State team on Tuesday morning's "Good Morning America."
"We're gonna reveal the name of the new team," Roberts said before a banner was dropped showing the name and logo. "The Valkyries, the Golden State Valkyries."
The new team from the Bay Area will join the league in 2025. Their Instagram page is already filled with information and photos and is being followed by more than 60,000 fans.
On Tuesday morning, the Valkyries shared a carousel of photos on Instagram that details the team and their logo.
The team and logo's color is "Valkyries Violet," a "modern, bold and unconventional color that dramatically stands out when paired with black." The "V shape" of the logo symbolizes "the unity of Valkyries in flight."
Down the center of the logo is the "Bay Bridge," a "symbol of the Valkyries' strong presence across the Bay and the connection between their two homes: San Franciso and Oakland."
