The WNBA drew its smallest average attendance on record this year, averaging 7,318 fans per game during the '15 season. That figure is down 3% from last season and below the previous low of 7,457 in '12. The WNBA hit a high mark of 10,864 fans per game during its sophomore season in '98 and has not averaged above 8,000 fans since '09. Despite the low numbers this season, the league had 33 sellouts, up from 25 in '14. Contributing to a record low this season was a 37% drop for the Stars, who finished in last place in attendance. The Mercury led all teams for the second straight season with 9,946 fans per game at Talking Stick Resort Arena, up 4% from the team's figure last season, despite star G Diana Taurasi deciding to skip this season. The Mercury also had a league-leading nine sellouts. The Sparks saw the biggest gain, up 9% at Staples Center. During the club's final season in Tulsa's BOK Center, the Shock's average attendance was next to last in the league and down 7% from '14 (THE DAILY).
|
WNBA AVERAGE ATTENDANCE TREND
|
|
SEASON
|
AVERAGE
|
SEASON
|
AVERAGE
|
|
'15
|
7,318
|
'05
|
8,173
|
|
'14
|
7,578
|
'04
|
8,593
|
|
'13
|
7,531
|
'03
|
8,826
|
|
'12
|
7,457
|
'02
|
9,344
|
|
'11
|
7,955
|
'01
|
9,075
|
|
'10
|
7,834
|
'00
|
9,072
|
|
'09
|
8,039
|
'99
|
10,189
|
|
'08
|
7,952
|
'98
|
10,864
|
|
'07
|
7,742
|
'97
|
9,662
|
|
'06
|
7,479
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
WNBA REGULAR-SEASON ATTENDANCE FOR '15
|
| HOME TEAM |
GAMES
|
TOTAL
|
AVG.
|
% CAP.
|
PREV.
|
% +/-
|
| Mercury |
17
|
169,077
|
9,946
|
103.3%
|
9,557
|
4.1%
|
| Lynx |
17
|
159,189
|
9,364
|
102.3%
|
9,333
|
0.3%
|
| Liberty |
17
|
155,695
|
9,159
|
90.5%
|
8,949
|
2.3%
|
| Sparks |
17
|
154,097
|
9,065
|
68.9%
|
8,288
|
9.4%
|
| Mystics |
17
|
131,136
|
7,714
|
104.2%
|
8,377
|
-7.9%
|
| Fever |
17
|
127,244
|
7,485
|
81.3%
|
7,900
|
-5.3%
|
| Sky |
17
|
117,201
|
6,894
|
94.1%
|
6,685
|
3.1%
|
| Storm |
17
|
110,767
|
6,516
|
67.3%
|
6,717
|
-3.0%
|
| Dream |
17
|
104,080
|
6,122
|
61.1%
|
5,864
|
4.4%
|
| Sun |
17
|
94,467
|
5,557
|
59.6%
|
5,980
|
-7.1%
|
| Shock** |
17
|
87,844
|
5,167
|
71.3%
|
5,566
|
-7.2%
|
| Stars* |
17
|
82,130
|
4,831
|
53.7%
|
7,719
|
-37.4%
|
| TOTALS |
204
|
1,492,927
|
7,318
|
78.9%
|
7,578
|
-3.4%
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOTES: * = Played the '15 season at Freeman Coliseum due to renovations at the adjacent AT&T Center. ** = Will move from Tulsa, Okla., to Arlington, Texas, for the '16 season.
