WNBA teams averaged 7,457 fans per game this season, marking the league's lowest average since it began play in '97. The previous low was 7,479 per game set in '06. The '12 average is also down 6% from last season's figure. Half the teams in the WNBA saw a double-digit percentage drop in average attendance this season. The Mystics saw the sharpest drop, down 17.3% at Verizon Center in DC. The Lynx saw a 14.6% jump at the gate on the heels of the team's '11 championship. Listed below is an attendance trend for the WNBA since its inception, as well as team-by-team attendance for the '12 season compared to last season (THE DAILY).
|
WNBA AVERAGE ATTENDANCE TREND
|
|
YEAR
|
AVERAGE
|
YEAR
|
AVERAGE
|
|
'12
|
7,457
|
'04
|
8,593
|
|
'11
|
7,955
|
'03
|
8,826
|
|
'10
|
7,834
|
'02
|
9,344
|
|
'09
|
8,039
|
'01
|
9,075
|
|
'08
|
7,952
|
'00
|
9,072
|
|
'07
|
7,742
|
'99
|
10,189
|
|
'06
|
7,479
|
'98
|
10,864
|
|
'05
|
8,173
|
'97
|
9,662
|
| |
|
|
|
|
WNBA REGULAR-SEASON ATTENDANCE
|
| HOME TEAM |
GMS
|
TOTAL
|
AVG.
|
% CAP.
|
PREV.
|
% +/-
|
GMS ('11)
|
| Sparks |
17
|
172,990
|
10,176
|
77.4%
|
10,320
|
-1.4%
|
17
|
| Lynx |
17
|
164,617
|
9,683
|
105.5%
|
8,447
|
14.6%
|
17
|
| Mystics |
17
|
146,861
|
8,639
|
85.1%
|
10,449
|
-17.3%
|
17
|
| Silver Stars |
17
|
133,454
|
7,850
|
79.8%
|
8,751
|
-10.3%
|
17
|
| Mercury |
17
|
132,839
|
7,814
|
76.6%
|
9,167
|
-14.8%
|
17
|
| Fever |
17
|
128,897
|
7,582
|
82.3%
|
8,054
|
-5.9%
|
17
|
| Storm |
17
|
127,266
|
7,486
|
77.3%
|
8,659
|
-13.5%
|
17
|
| Sun |
17
|
123,519
|
7,266
|
76.3%
|
7,056
|
3.0%
|
17
|
| Liberty |
17
|
114,950
|
6,762
|
36.6%
|
7,702
|
-12.2%
|
17
|
| Sky |
17
|
94,746
|
5,573
|
79.6%
|
5,536
|
0.7%
|
17
|
| Dream |
17
|
92,708
|
5,453
|
53.7%
|
6,487
|
-15.9%
|
17
|
| Shock |
17
|
88,453
|
5,203
|
69.6%
|
4,828
|
7.8%
|
17
|
| WNBA TOTALS |
204
|
1,521,300
|
7,457
|
72.1%
|
7,955
|
-6.3%
|
204
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOTES: All attendance data is based on totals posted immediately following games. Figures do not reflect any subsequent adjustments made by teams or the league. The '12 season began May 18 and the '11 season began on June 3. There were no games this season between July 4 and Aug. 15 due to the London Games.
