The WNBA anticipates another exciting season. This time with a double-barreled gun. With the two biggest names in WBB – Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers. The venue has been moved, the tickets have been sold, and the comparisons are already in place– to give you a picture of the situation. In the midst of this, there is a bit warning sign over the coverage. This one may not exactly be just for the media houses.

National analyst Rachel DeMita wanted to start the season with a clean slate. Not cleaned with the inputs or past, but cleaned with all the hate and negativity the WNBA’s last season faced. Even though the league experienced a huge influx of sales, viewership, and attendance, making the league the most promising one, there was a blend of negativity involved in it. Who was responsible for it?

A few fans who wanted to push their narrative. Remember how Sheryl Swoopes and Stephen A. Smith had a back-and-forth over certain remarks? David Dennis Jr. with his honest take on stars missing All-Star events? Yeah, that did not go down well either. So, what is this suggesting? Spectators still seem to be a little sensitive towards opinions in the WNBA space compared to the NBA.

“I feel so much more free to be able to be honest be truthful with my takes, criticize, but not to the point where it’s hateful.” She said in her latest video on ‘Courtside Club Vlog’, “I feel like it’s so much easier to do that in the men’s space.” A free expression, what everyone desires, is more in the NBA than in the WNBA, DeMita notes.

“Make jokes on social media that people do not take to heart. It’s literally just like a meme, a joke. And on the women’s side, it is so sensitive,” Rachel points out. Remember a few nicknames that made the players viral, even more than their actual gameplay did? Big Penguin (Andre Drummond) and Drunken Dribbler (Corey Brewer) were common in the sentences referring to those players. Can you recall any such female basketball player nicknames?

Though the W is comparatively young, Rachel believes it is time we grow as well. “There were some growing pains last season,” she admits. However, considering the league’s ascent and where it is headed, the podcaster says, “we need to act like we’ve been here before and we deserve to be here… ‘don’t dress for the job you have, dress for the job you want.'” This is a call for everyone in the league– fans, media, players, front offices. “Let’s dress for the job we want,” she concludes.

To sum it up, the league needs more coverage. More healthy discussions. More involvement to not solely rely on mainstream media. More openness, both in terms of transparency and mind.

The league is evolving, opening up to more fans. One significant change that the WNBA made was exempting two of its players from talking to the media during training sessions. So the league is navigating the balance between player autonomy and media access. But as DeMita said, the league, fans, and reporters all need to change quickly. Because Caitlin may have brought the storm, Paige Bueckers is only carrying it forward.

Is Paige Bueckers’ debut season monumental for the WNBA, pushing it closer to the NBA?

WNBA is already on the rise, and with the pace at which the league is moving forward, it will not be long before the game of basketball will have strong leagues. The media coverage, sponsorships for the players, and media rights to the league are all showing upward trajectories. NBA is still a premium league in the country, and WNBA is fast catching up.

In 2025, the Indiana Fever will have 41 games televised, more than top-tier franchises like the LA Lakers, Boston Celtics, and Golden State Warriors. In the previous season, the it’s average attendance surpassed many NBA teams, including the Indiana Pacers. With a player of Paige’s popularity, the Dallas Wings could also dream of a similar impact in Texas.

“The WNBA is going to be more popular than the NBA. It will happen in our lifetime; in my view, it will happen in the next three to five years.” Sports analyst Jason Whitlock made a bold claim when looking at the prospects coming into the WBB.

Along with the ticket sales, WNBA stars are also now ruling the merchandise sales. Sabrina Ionescu’s sneakers were the second-highest-worn gear even in the NBA, while Caitlin Clark led both leagues in jersey sales during the first half of the debut season. This success should also lead to higher merchandise sales for Paige. If this momentum continues, the idea of the WNBA surpassing the NBA’s supremacy could become a reality.