From a business perspective, the 2024 season is the most important year in recent WNBA history.

The league hadn’t drawn a million viewers to a game since 2008. Then it hit that mark 22 times in the regular season alone, which helped the league ink an 11-year, $2.2 billion media-rights deal with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon in July (with an option to renegotiate three years in). Commissioner Cathy Engelbert instituted charter flights for every game, attendance soared, and national media coverage (and controversies) skyrocketed.

The league is also readying to begin its expansion era with Golden State, and Engelbert already announced the regular season will expand by four more games and the Finals will be a best-of-seven.

In many ways, the league’s hands are tied until 2026 when those media dollars come in: Critics will spotlight projected top draft pick Paige Bueckers’s base salary of $78,831; the WNBA will offer paltry player contracts compared to overseas women’s basketball leagues.

Still, several opportunities remain to continue the upward trajectory of this season while awaiting the explosion of cash.