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The WNBA is Taking Off. What Took So Long?

· 1169 words · By Keia Clarke
open_in_new Read the original article: https://time.com/article/2026/03/23/the-wnba-is-taking-off-what-took-so-long-/

fact_checkFact-Check Results

16 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

help Insufficient Evidence 7
schedule Pending 6
verified Verified By Reference 3
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“The All-Stars on Team USA pushed the sport to a point where it could no longer be ignored.”
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held f…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Summer_Olympics
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 1996 United States women's Olympic basketball team competed in the Games of the XXVI Olympiad which were held in Atlanta, Georgia. The U.S. women's Olympic team won their third gold medal at the e…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_United_States_women's_Oly…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 1996 Summer Olympics—based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States—marked the first time that women participated in the Olympic association football tournament. The tournament featured eight women's na…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_at_the_1996_Summer_Ol…
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“Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Dawn Staley, and Rebecca Lobo didn’t just win gold; they expanded our imagination of what women’s basketball could be.”
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held f…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Summer_Olympics
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 1996 United States women's Olympic basketball team competed in the Games of the XXVI Olympiad which were held in Atlanta, Georgia. The U.S. women's Olympic team won their third gold medal at the e…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_United_States_women's_Oly…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Group E of the women's soccer tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics was played from 21 to 25 July 1996, and included hosts United States, China, Denmark and Sweden. The top two teams advanced to the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_at_the_1996_Summer_Ol…
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“The Liberty have evolved from a founding franchise to an industry leader—on the court and in the boardroom.”
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 New York Liberty season was the 28th season for the New York Liberty franchise of the WNBA, and their third season under head coach, Sandy Brondello. The season tipped off on Tuesday, May 14,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_New_York_Liberty_season
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 New York Liberty season was the 29th season for the New York Liberty franchise of the WNBA, and their fourth season under head coach, Sandy Brondello. The season tipped off on Saturday, May 1…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_New_York_Liberty_season
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The New York Liberty are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Liberty compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Liberty
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“In 2024, we delivered a professional basketball championship to New York City for the first time in 50 years.”
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“In 2025, Forbes named us the most valuable women’s sports franchise in the world.”
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“The WNBA is taking off. The league broke viewership and attendance records in 2025.”
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“WNBA players are set to become some of the highest-paid women athletes in the world.”
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“In 1997, we faced the Los Angeles Sparks at the Great Western Forum and drew more than 5 million viewers.”
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“By 2006, we became the first WNBA team to air our entire regular season on television.”
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“Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai acquired the franchise in 2019.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
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“They backed that belief with infrastructure, most notably an $80 million state-of-the-art practice facility in Brooklyn.”
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“We negotiated a landmark distribution agreement with WNYW FOX5 New York, the network’s first partnership with a women’s professional sports team, reaching more than 7.5 million households.”
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“Local viewership increased 129% year over year, leading to a multi-year extension.”
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“The Liberty set the WNBA’s all-time single-game gate revenue record, twice.”
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“We secured 52 corporate partners, 20 new to the WNBA, driving sponsorship revenue growth of more than 60% year over year.”
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“Our ambition is to become the first billion-dollar women’s sports franchise.”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.