It was also a prime example of Boston supporting a WNBA team. The league has expanded to 14 teams – Golden State will start in 2025 and Toronto in 2026 – and is potentially planning to add two more teams.
The WNBA in Boston is currently complicated by the Celtics’ ownership situation, but Boston has shown that it not only recognizes the WNBA, but supports the burgeoning league, which has been boosted this season by the rise of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. The league’s value has never been higher, but it also needs to capitalize on marketing opportunities, such as broadcasting WNBA teams that are successful in a packed NBA arena. Instead, NBA TV chose to broadcast the Dallas Wings-New York Liberty game, and that’s hard to understand.
DiJonai Carrington led Connecticut (20-7) with 19 points, playing with her usual energy and explosiveness. Before the game, she took to social media to express her disdain that the matchup was not nationally televised. The Sun are a franchise that has continually felt disrespected in the WNBA despite its success. They are not based in New York or Las Vegas. They play their games on an Indian reservation in a 10,000-seat arena.
“I feel like Connecticut is historically disrespected as a franchise,” Carrington said. “Sometimes if you want something, you have to go out and do it yourself, and that’s what I did for us. I think there could have been a lot more promotion from the top. Connecticut announced we had this game almost a year ago (last December). There was plenty of time to do what needed to be done. But it didn’t matter anyway because they showed up. So I guess my tweet worked.”
They are the Buffalo Bills of the WNBA, a franchise that has consistently excelled in its 21 years in Connecticut but has yet to win a championship. Playing in this stadium, in front of these fans, and showcasing their versatility and talent may have helped the Sun take another step toward becoming a benchmark franchise.
“It was a great atmosphere,” said forward Alyssa Thomas, the Sun’s senior member. “I mean, women’s basketball, I keep saying this, is going in this direction. I’ve been in Connecticut for a long time and to play in front of a fan base like that, it gave us even more energy tonight. It’s just exciting to see where basketball has gone. We’ve been in Connecticut for 11 years and we have a great fan base there, but at the same time we see the opportunities that could come.”
It’s a relief that the WNBA’s responsibility to sell its sport, to act as promoters and pitchers as well as players and coaches, has been diminishing in recent years as the sport’s popularity rises. There has been a recent connection between NCAA basketball and the WNBA that benefits both sides. Clark and Reese’s rockstar status since their 2023 national championship game and long tournament runs last season translated directly to the WNBA season, when both were selected high in the draft.
Because female basketball players tend to stay in college longer, they develop personalities and brands before turning pro. Bueckers, JuJu Watkins and Flau’Jae Johnson are all college players who have appeared in commercials and are already established and tremendous talents.
This connection between the NCAA and the WNBA has enriched the sport for both sides. And the more eyes on women’s basketball, the more players who may have been overlooked, like Thomas and Carrington, are getting the attention they deserve.
“I feel a little different now than I did before,” Connecticut coach Stephanie White said of the need to grow the game while winning. “I remember the momentum of the 1996 Olympics and how that was going to be a game changer. And it certainly was in terms of the creation of the WNBA.
“But like any professional sports league, it takes time, and if you look at the benchmarks, we’re probably right on track. In women’s basketball, we often say you have to get them here once, and then they keep coming back. It’s the perfect storm of integrating college stars and the perfect storm of bringing college fans to the WNBA. There’s been a disconnect for a long time. Now is just the right time.”
“Although I sometimes think it’s good that we had to move the league and women’s basketball forward, I feel like we’re not there anymore. I feel like the respect is there.”
Gary Washburn is a columnist for the Globe. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.
