EXCLUSIVE: Sportico's 2026 WNBA Valuations | Chiney Today

The WNBA is BOOMING—and the numbers prove it.
In this episode, Chiney Ogwumike breaks down Sportico’s 2026 WNBA valuations, revealing how franchises have skyrocketed in value and why the league is entering a new era of growth.
📈 Key topics:
WNBA valuations jump 59% in one year
Golden State Valkyries lead at $850M
Record-breaking revenue, attendance & media deals
The real impact of Caitlin Clark & the new generation
Why investors are rushing into women’s sports
🎙️ Featuring Sportico’s Kurt Badenhausen, who explains:
What’s driving the surge in team value
Why this is bigger than one player
The future of expansion, profitability, and global growth
The narrative has changed. The numbers don’t lie.
👇 Tap in, .

00:00 Intro
01:10 Key Factors That Contribute To The W’s Growth
01:50 Factor 1: The Stars Are Being Themselves
02:53 Factor 2: Superstar Power
04:45 Factor 3: The Crossover
05:24 Factor 4: Visibility
06:51 Factor 5: Expansion
08:22 Record-Breaking Revenue in the W
11:43 Kurt Badenhausen: the Valkyries are worth nearly a billion!
12:57 WNBA franchises are up 59% in value from 2025 to 2026
13:02 Caitlin Clark effect plus other factors
15:29 The W’s surge in numbers across each team in terms of value
21:36 Why the Valkyries are well-positioned in growth
25:30 The challenges of continuing to grow
27:43 Debunking the myth about the WNBA
31:16 Goodbye

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