WNBA Franchise Valuations 2024: Las Vegas Aces come up on top at $140,000,000

The Las Vegas Aces sit atop the WNBA as the most valuable franchise, according to a new report from Sportico. The back-to-back WNBA champions are currently looking to three-peat after retaining much of their championship roster during the offseason, with their success translating directly to team revenue.

A report from Sportico named the Las Vegas Aces as the most valuable team in the WNBA with a total valuation of $140 million, and a 2023 revenue of 17.8 million. This, of course, comes on the heels of the city of Las Vegas offering sponsorship deals to every player on the team.

This year, the Aces sit in third place in the West, however, with the league doing playoff seedings regardless of conference, the Aces sit in fifth place overall. Just behind the Las Vegas Aces on the WNBA Franchise valuation list are the Seattle Storm, with a valuation of $135M overall and a $17.6M revenue last season.

In third place, behind the Seattle Storm, the New York Liberty sit with a valuation of $130M and a 2023 revenue of $18M. Other notable teams such as the Indiana Fever, who have generated tons of fan interest thanks to Caitlin Clark, rank sixth with a $90M valuation.

Check out the full list below:

Looking at the Las Vegas Aces' sponsorship with the city of Vegas after bringing back-to-back titles to the city

Back in May, the Las Vegas Aces players were surprised with a sponsorship deal from the city. The agents of the players worked with the city to ensure that the WNBA's CBA wasn't violated beforehand, with the team then being offered the surprise sponsorship in their locker room.

The city offered each player a $100,000 sponsorship deal directly, with the only condition being they continue to represent Vegas. The moment was a massive one for the team given the WNBA-NBA pay disparity, and the fact that six players on the Aces earn less than $100,000 per year.

While players such as A'ja Wilson have off-court sponsorship deals with companies like Nike, many players in the WNBA don't make nearly as much from sponsorships.

Looking at the WNBA's revenue in 2024 amid rise in popularity

As we've seen this season, the WNBA is continuing to gain popularity. Although commissioner Cathy Engelbert is confident that the next media rights deal will see a jump in revenue, the league continues to lose money.

The 2024 rookie class, led by Caitlin Clark in viewership numbers, has continued to break barriers with increased fan interest and increased viewership. Despite that, a report from the Washington Post released earlier this month indicated that the league is expected to lose $50 million this year.

Part of this likely has to do with the new chartered flights system signed earlier this year, which was estimated to cost $25M. Despite that, with more WNBA games than ever before airing on national TV, Engelbert will look to secure a massive media rights deal in an effort to increase profit before an inevitable expansion.