This season, the WNBA is generating a lot of buzz and enthusiasm.

This season, there's renewed enthusiasm for the WNBA.

The whole world is abuzz with the WNBA phenomenon. It's not just hype; it's real.

The spotlight is on superstars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and many more top college players, driving a surge of interest in women's basketball. This interest sometimes even exceeds that of the men's games.

The Women's National Championship game between the University of South Carolina and the University of Iowa was the most-watched basketball game (including the NBA) since 2019.

Fashion houses like luxury brands are requesting to dress WNBA players for draft events. New talents like Clark, Reese, Cameron Brink, and others already fill the screens in national commercials. Veteran players like Jewell Lloyd (representing State Farm) and the retired Sue Bird are also booming with brand new opportunities.

If you are a new WNBA fan wondering how to follow the league, you have come to the right place.

Why the sudden surge of attention for the WNBA?

For a league that has often played second fiddle to the NBA, recent events have unleashed a wave of attention not seen since it started in 1997.

For years, WNBA games have had fewer viewers and lower revenue than their NBA counterparts. WNBA players were much less visible than male players, who have leveraged their fame in fashion, production companies, and other creative entrepreneurial ventures many millionaires indulge in.

To say this trend is changing may be an overstatement as the average WNBA salary remains around $130,000, and teams still travel commercially. NBA salaries are a whopping $9.5 million, and teams fly chartered planes. The average WNBA audience was 6,615 people per game, compared to the NBA's 18,324.

However, there's a definite shift happening. WNBA sales on StubHub have surged 93% from the 2023 season. The excitement was palpable during the draft, according to Candace Pedraza, a reporter for WNBA news website Winsidr.

The WNBA's game is changing as college players are now allowed to profit from endorsements and ads. These fresh faces are showcased in commercials right before they enter the league, stoking the interest in their future careers. Case in point: Cameron Brink, who starred in New Balance ads alongside NBA stars Jamal Murray and Kawhi Leonard while still at Stanford.

The WNBA is adding four more teams by 2028 and has raised $75 million from investors to promote the league. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has declared this commercial investment will help "drive the league's brand."

The WNBA Draft was held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on April 15, 2024, in New York.

With new talent joining top performers like two-time MVP A'ja Wilson, the WNBA seems on the cusp of a major breakthrough.

When does the WNBA season start?

The WNBA regular season starts on May 14. The pre-season begins today, with Reese's Chicago Sky and Clark's Indiana Fever in action. Fans can catch the league, known as the W, on local channels or through WNBA League Pass. Some games could also be televised by ESPN, ION, Prime Video, or even X.

The WNBA currently has 12 teams: Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Dallas Wings, Indiana Fever, Las Vegas Aces, Los Angeles Sparks, New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx, Phoenix Mercury, Seattle Storm, and Washington Mystics – divided into East and West conferences, similar to the NBA.

The WNBA was the first women's professional basketball league, beginning in 1997, but it didn't become official until after the American Basketball League (ABL), which started the previous year. This league competed directly with the WNBA for a year before shutting down in 1998. The WNBA was the first league to form in tandem with the NBA, with numerous teams sharing the same ownership as their NBA affiliate, such as the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx and the Phoenix Suns and Mercury.

WNBA vs. NBA: What are the differences?

The WNBA plays 40 games in its regular season, which ends in September, while the NBA plays 82 games. WNBA season starts as the NBA's playoffs lurch on. The WNBA ball is slightly smaller than the NBA ball. Additionally, the styles of play are quite different.

While NBA games are heavy on three-point shooting, the WNBA is more technical, focused on protecting the ball and sharing it more. As Candace Pedraza, a reporter for WNBA news website Winsidr, put it, "If you're a fan of basketball fundamentals like ball protection, ball sharing, or anything of that sort, you'll love watching the WNBA."

In general, there's more action happening in the paint, close to the basket, rather than around the perimeter near the three-point line. However, with the influx of long-range shooters like Clark entering the league, this could change in the future.

The WNBA is often more of a physical war near the net, resulting in more jaw-dropping block shots. Although the league doesn't always receive the same recognition as the men's, 76ers guard Patrick Beverley defended the WNBA, stating it's "way more physical" than the men's league.

"They hit you harder. They set stronger screens. It's a physically demanding game," Beverley said on a podcast.

Betnijah Laney of the New York Liberty brings the ball up court against the Las Vegas Aces during game four of the 2023 WNBA Finals on October 18, 2023, in New York City.

The game also varies in length, with matches divided into four 10-minute frames instead of the NBA's 48-minute format. This means that if you witness a player like Alyssa Thomas from the Connecticut Sun achieving consecutive triple-doubles, you'll be even more amazed, given the limited amount of time she has to perform.

Which WNBA players and squads are worth watching?

In recent years, the Las Vegas Aces have gained notoriety as a superteam, having won the championship in both 2022 and 2023. However, a growing rivalry has developed between the Aces and New York Liberty, who lost to the Aces in the finals last season.

The Aces are spearheaded by A'ja Wilson – widely considered one of the league's top players – while the Liberty counter with star Breanna Stewart and sniper Sabrina Ionescu. Ionescu even managed to outperform basketball icon Steph Curry in a 3-point contest during the NBA's All-Star Weekend in February.

Nobody made any major moves during the off-season, unsurprisingly, with both Aces and Liberty relying on their existing players. On the other hand, other teams are making strides.

Keep an eye on the Seattle Storm, according to Pedraza. The Storm already possess Jewell Lloyd (currently the league's top scorer) and acquired two other offensive weapons: former MVP and fifth-leading scorer in 2022, Nneka Ogwumike, and six-time All-Star Skylar Diggins-Smith.

"This trio is like a three-headed monster when it comes down to scoring," Pedraza said.

The Phoenix Mercury are another team on the rise, having acquired underrated guard Rebecca Allen and Kahleah Copper, who won the Finals' MVP award in 2021.

The Mercury additionally re-signed Brittney Griner, who had been holding the position of defensive player of the year before being detained in Russia for nearly ten months in 2022 on drug-trafficking charges.

"They're not the only high-caliber teams in the W anymore. Talent has definitely spread around," Pedraza said, hinting at the Aces and Liberty's superiority.

What controversies has the WNBA encountered?

Bria Hartley, right, of the Las Vegas Aces looks to pass against Kate Martin during a practice session on April 28, 2024, in Henderson, Nevada.

One of the most challenging issues that the league has to face stems from the race, gender, and sexuality of its players. According to statistics, the league is predominantly composed of women of color (more than 60% of players are Black), and many, although estimates differ, are LGBTQ.

Despite her retirement, WNBA legend Sue Bird highlighted being forced into the closet when she started playing in 2002, with winning success requiring her to pretend to be straight. Bird established herself as an advocate for the WNBA and spoke out about the reasons why it's less famous than women's soccer. In her opinion, factors include the primarily Black and homosexual players:

"Women's soccer players are generally attractive, white girls. While WNBA players, we come in all shapes and sizes. I think there's an intimidation factor, and people are quick to discredit it."

Only recently has the WNBA welcomed lesbian athletes and fans whole-heartedly. Nonetheless, black players still don't receive the same applause as their white counterparts, Pedraza stated.

For example, the Aces' Wilson, who is Black, failed to win the 2023 WNBA MVP award to the Liberty's Stewart, a White player, generating disbelief among the public. With her bias unveiled, Pedraza explained that "lots of people felt that was a little unfair," but she didn't personally agree or disagree with the decision. "It was just another instance where some Aces players felt like they were being undermined by the media and voters who favored a white player."

The WNBA failed to respond to CNN's inquiry for comment.

Skeptics believe that the hype surrounding Caitlin Clark exposed this seemingly discriminatory bias, especially in light of her Black counterparts such as Reese – who defeated Clark in the 2023 national championship game. Prior to joining the league, Clark appeared in State Farm commercials and received a signature sneaker deal with Nike.

The only other players in the WNBA with a signature shoe deal besides Clark? Stewart, Ionescu, and the Washington Mystics' Elena Delle Donne, all of whom are Caucasian.

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Mike Freeman, a columnist for USA Today, recently shed light on a racial disparity within the WNBA. He wrote, "The fact that only white women hold the power of the signature shoe now, as the WNBA is in its most prominent and successful phase, demonstrates how Black women are being overlooked in a league that they control."

During the start of the WNBA's latest season, it could be a groundbreaking time for women's basketball. This period could be compared to the intense rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the 1980s, which helped revive the NBA. On the other hand, it could just be another small step towards more recognition and pay for female athletes.