The 2021 WNBA season was one of the best in recent memory, featuring a slew of legitimate contenders, a historic 14-game win streak for the Connecticut Sun, and transcendent star performances from players like Jonquel Jones, Brittney Griner, Breanna Stewart, Sylvia Fowles, and others. The upset-laden playoffs were the cherry on top of the season, with the fifth-seeded Phoenix Mercury and the sixth-seeded Chicago Sky advancing to the Finals. In a 12-team league that has felt top-heavy the past few seasons, it was fascinating to watch the regular-season power structure be so thoroughly disrupted.
- Ian Levy
Creative Editorial Director
What we’ll remember about this fandom a decade from now
With a decade's hindsight, this season won't stand out as an individual turning point as much as another mark on an exponential growth curve. WNBA viewership was up 51 percent for the entire season and 78 percent for the playoffs. Expansion is on the table and sales of official merchandise through the WNBA store were up 50 percent year-over-year. The WNBA is in a well-earned and long-overdue period of explosive growth, and every data point is validation that the sky is the limit.
How this fandom is changing sports
The WNBA is about much more than just basketball, and this year was no exception. The league, led first and foremost by the voices of its players, has been a powerful force for advocacy and change on social justice, gender equity, and more. From the Atlanta Dream players helping spur the sale of their team and campaigning for Raphael Warnock, to Layshia Clarendon continuing to be visible as a nonbinary athlete, to advocating for reproductive rights in the wake of restrictive new laws in Texas, WNBA players continue to leverage their platforms as changemakers as effectively as anyone in the world of sports.