GoKawiilA women’s sports team is now worth $1 billion for the first time in history. The WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries hit the gold standard, and investors are now scrambling to buy into a league where new teams are paying $250 million just to get in the door — five times what it cost three years ago.
The Valkyries, owned by Golden State Warriors owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, lead CNBC’s latest WNBA team valuations after generating $78 million in revenue last season — more than double the league average. They sold out season tickets, averaged a league-record 18,064 fans per game and set the bar for what’s possible when a women’s team shares ownership and an arena with an NBA franchise.
The Valkyries, however, isn’t the only WNBA team seeing explosive growth. The Connecticut Sun just sold for $300 million after being purchased for $10 million in 2003, and the Las Vegas Aces went from a $2 million purchase price in 2021 to a current valuation of $500 million.
The frenzy is fueled by new media deals that are more than six times larger than previous contracts and a surge in corporate sponsorships. Investors are betting more teams will sink $1 billion within five years as the league’s business is in a full-court press.