The New York Knicks are the most valuable franchise in the NBA, with an estimated value of $4 billion. Then COVID hit. With the league celebrating its 25th season, we rank every franchise in each of its incarnations in different cities, all 23 of them. The offer was enticing enough that chairman Max Abrahams and his team put in an offer to acquire that franchise for a price of $3.5 million. LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers are now valued at $5.5 billion, joining the New York Knicks . Franchise journey: They made four playoff appearances in their seven seasons, but the Rockers were gone before they really had a chance to make an impact. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. , Apr 5, 2022. The 6'8" center for the Los Angeles Sparks has been selected to the All-Star team three times. Regular-season record: 351-273 Franchise journey: Of the eight original WNBA franchises, Los Angeles and Phoenix are the two most successful remaining teams, with the Sparks having the most playoff appearances in WNBA history. Low point: Diggins-Smith insisting on a trade before the 2020 season, a year after Cambage had done the same thing. The value of their franchise is $125 million. 1 pick. Face of the franchise: Sue Bird (2002-present) Mr. Allen is one of the richest people in the world, having earned over $10 billion dollars. Cambage's selection as the face of the franchise is ironic. League sources believe Philadelphia has potential as an eventual expansion city, but it would likely mean the involvement of the 76ers both financially and in terms of an arena. Ogunbowale and Mabry, former Notre Dame teammates, have clicked again in the WNBA. 3,$5.5 billion). For the first time, all 30 NBA teams have a perceived worth of $1.3 billion or more, per Forbes' annual report. Though Oakland is the 45th-biggest American city by population, its larger than two current WNBAmarkets (Minneapolis and Uncasville, Conn.), and the Bay Area comprising San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose is the nations sixth-largest media market. Other notable stars: DeWanna Bonner, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Candice Dupree, Brittney Griner, Cappie Pondexter, Tangela Smith, Penny Taylor. Today, a jersey deal is a one of . And Brondello is the longtime coach of Phoenix Mercury. Many WNBA stars work in other countries during the WNBA's off-season because doing so is more lucrative than playing in the U.S. Griner is reportedly earning more than $1 million to play for her . Franchise journey: Should the Wings really be ranked behind the long-gone Sting and Rockers? Low point: The franchise folding after going 15-17 in 2002. In 2009, the Detroit Shock sold for approximately $5 million, based on legal documents filed by its then-owners. Franchise journey: Detroit was in the first WNBA expansion wave with Washington in 1998, and made the playoffs just once in its first five seasons. The Lynx went 13-21, their last losing season. Still, Philadelphia holds lots of appeal. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Taurasi will continue with the Mercury, the only WNBA franchise for which she has played, in Season 19 in 2023. That brought players such as Sales, Douglas and McWilliams-Franklin from Orlando, plus the Sun drafted Whalen in 2004. But forward/center Parker would be the No. If you look at the NFL, were getting $10.1 billion a year for television and the WNBA is getting $30 million a year. The 31-year-old female professional basketball player was in 2014 named the ambassador for Special Olympics.. On top of that, Ellena has won two WNBA Most Valuable Player Awards (2015 and 2019) and became the first WNBA player to join the 50-40-90 club.She has not played much professionally overseas, only taking part in the regular basketball season in the U.S. Forbes' valuations are slightly more conservative than the ones issued by sports-business outlet Sportico last month Sportico's report featured an average team value of nearly $2.4 billion, with the Knicks, Warriors, and Lakers all . The team was owned by Russian billionaire Sergey Brin and Chinese investor Joe Tsai, who started out as employees of Google's China office. High point: Led by Diggins-Smith, making the playoffs in their second year in Dallas. Bird has been a key factor for all four titles and is a primary icon of the WNBA. (John Russell /, Alana Beard, a former WNBA star, is working to bring a franchise to Oakland. Three have been with single-digit victory totals, and they're closing in on the fourth. After Seattle took Australian star Lauren Jackson No. Regular-season record: 341-380 Low point: After winning the Eastern Conference for the first time in 2010, the Mystics lost their coach and general manager when they wanted to combine those jobs into one. That season, the Sparks had their fewest wins in franchise history, going 10-24. The buyers, Mark Walter and Todd Boehley, have a path to eventually buying out controlling owner Jerry Buss Family Estate at some point in the future. Monica Fawknotson, the executive director of Nashvilles Sports Authority Board, said that while groups have shown interest in ownership, the presentation will not include a definitive ownership group. If the WNBA paid out the same revenue split as the NBA (50-50 . Face of the franchise: Yolanda Griffith 9 UConn (26-5) eked out a 60-51 win over Xavier, a team that is 7-22 on the season and 0-20 in conference play. Franchise journey: After the 2002 season the WNBA was ready for independent ownership outside of NBA franchises, and the Sun were the first to go that route. The main ranking criteria are success and standout players, although franchise longevity played a factor, too. But there just wasn't a strong commitment from Heat ownership to the Sol. Browns representative declined further comment. Face of the franchise: Sheri Sam (2000-02) New Orleans Pelicans: $1.35 billion. But they also endured tragedy during that run, when guard Perrot died of cancer during the 1999 season. Regular-season record: 59-145 In 2017, the franchise was worth 3.3 billion US dollars, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers, who were worth just a bit less than the Knicks. WNBA career stats leaders: Margo Dydek in blocks (877) and block percentage (8.99); Jennifer Azzi in 3-point field goal percentage (45.8) 28. They made the playoffs six times during this often-chaotic period, starting the stretch at 3-27 in 1998 and ending it 5-29 in 2012. Considering they've already reached the Finals and had an MVP, the building blocks to long-term success are in place. It sets its own prices and doesn't have a national television contract so it can increase or decrease its exposure by choosing which games to play and when. The best player in franchise history, Australia's Penny Taylor, was there for just three seasons before being taken in the dispersal draft by Phoenix, where she played 10 seasons and won three WNBA titles. 2 picks: Fowles (in 2008) and Delle Donne (2013). A big name in men's basketball, he wasn't prepared to run a WNBA team. Value: $4.7 billion. But there was always a fascination league-wide with Dydek, the tallest woman to play in the WNBA at 7-foot-2. In 2016, the Brooklyn Nets became the first new franchise to enter the league since 1976. Joe Tsai. Sykes could not be reached for comment. Playoff appearances (record): Nine (20-14) Three people familiar with the leagues expansion process said they have been operating under the premise the WNBA is looking at an expansion fee worth $15-20 million, while another said the league has not yet given interested parties a definitive number. According to people intimately familiar with these deals who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the implied enterprise value Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez will pay for a controlling interest in the Minnesota Timberwolves is $1.6 billion, with the deal expected to happen in three tranches by the end of 2023. Playoff appearances (record): Eight (17-21) Other than in 2008 and 2012, they've made the playoffs every year since. Franchise journey: Greatness is invariably accompanied by some luck. Regular-season record: 87-99 The Milwaukee Bucks are the next richest basketball team in the NBA. Other notable stars: Vicky Bullett, Allison Feaster, Rhonda Mapp, Charlotte Smith, Andrea Stinson, Tammy Sutton-Brown. Bevilaqua (with Seattle) and Walker (with Sacramento) both went on to be WNBA champions. Other notable stars: Tully Bevilaqua, Sylvia Crawley, Kristin Folkl, DeMya Walker, Sophia Witherspoon. Auriemma doesn't see his team cutting down any nets this season. The Athletic spoke to more than 20 people in and around the WNBA with knowledge of league expansion and its financial picture to learn more about the leagues plans. Franchise journey: If you became a Mystics fan sometime in the last nine years, you missed the roller coaster of ups and downs and carousel of coaches that preceded that. Nashville and the state of Tennessee just has such a strong history and support of womens basketball.. A clear choice as the WNBA's best point guard, Vandersloot earned back-to-back All-WNBA First Team nods on the strength of her record-setting assist rates. The funding . The Forbes estimate does not include sales or sponsorship revenue which both teams enjoy, but instead focuses on the actual value of the Knicks' ownership interest. In the league, were in big investment mode. They had an engaged fan base that loved the "Bad Girls" style reminiscent of Laimbeer's "Bad Boys" playing days in Detroit, plus the explosive skill of Nolan, who was from nearby Flint, Michigan. Add in Young-Malcolm as the No. MVPs: Tina Charles (2012) What you need to know about the Chicago Sky. So much has changed during COVID with this league. High point: Finishing first (22-10) in the Eastern Conference in 2001, their best season. The WNBA is presently anticipated to earn $60 million in income, with $12.3 million of that money given to its players. The report estimated the franchise's value at $2 billion, making it the most expensive team in the league. Former Senator Kelly Loeffler is out as an owner of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream. Through expansion the WNBA is trying to reset the market for how much its franchises are worth. Behind LAFC comes Atlanta United ($845 million) and LA Galaxy ($835 million). Ogwumike opened her appearance by calling Sykes a WNBA real one and gifting Sykes an Ogwumike jersey. Just two years later, WNBA was formed to promote the women's sport and officially had its commencement in 1997. Franchise journey: The Utah Starzz were an original WNBA franchise in 1997, but the Utah Jazz were not a very engaged owner and the team moved to San Antonio to become part of the Spurs organization in 2003. While the franchise ultimately ended up in other hands (and, according to Abrahams, went for a lower price in order for that franchise to stay in market), it got Toronto in the game early in terms of expansion talks with the league. That was a rough 4-30 season, but McCoughtry was the No. How much each NBA team is worth in 2021: New York Knicks: $5 billion. The Knicks have many assets, including World Class Talent, a passionate fan base, and their home arena, Madison Square Garden. Previous transactions have valued WNBA teams in that range, showing only middling growth in franchise values over the last 20 years. But the next year brought Taurasi as the No. The capital raise valued the league at $475 million, according to multiple sources, and the WNBA gave away roughly 16 percent equity in itself to investors as a result of that process. During the 2021 season, the Portland Thorns led the NWSL in attendance with more than 14,000 fans per game more than double the next closest team and through the early parts of the 2022 season, the club has averaged more than 13,000 fans per game, second only to expansion team Angel City FC (Los Angeles), which has a population more than six times Portlands. Other notable stars: Iziane Castro Marques, Erika de Souza, Armintie Harrington, Tiffany Hayes, Sancho Lyttle, Courtney Williams, Elizabeth Williams. If a team has any excess space on its roster, it can sign players to minimum contracts or trade them away. The fact that doesnt happen in the WNBA as quickly or freely makes it difficult to assess the market worth of a team; it can also confound potential buyers about how much they need to get into the league. While the Fire lasted just three seasons, the surge in women's basketball's popularity in the state thanks to the success of the Oregon and Oregon State women's programs in recent years makes Portland a place many think the WNBA should reconsider someday. When the Shock started 0-10 in 2002, former Detroit Pistons star Bill Laimbeer came in as head coach, which began a massive turnaround. Even though she has played just three full seasons, she led the Mystics to the 2018 and 2019 WNBA Finals, winning the championship in the second trip. Those four made up the core of the 2004 and 2005 teams that advanced to the WNBA Finals. One league source believes that the company was responsible for a substantial portion of the $75 million raised. Then majority owner Bill Cameron moved the franchise to Dallas, where the Wing are still seeking their first winning record. Hammon is still in San Antonio, as a Spurs assistant. That means selling tickets and making it successful. A representative for billionaire Kirk Brown said he is leading the bid to bring a WNBA team to Portland in this round of expansion. Furthermore, she has played for many prominent teams.