Sports Illustrated’s Emma Baccellieri on covering the changing world of women’s basketball.

Sports Illustrated’s Emma Baccellieri on covering the changing world of women’s basketball.

From The Kicker by Columbia Journalism Review

June 11, 2026 · 54 min · Season 12 · Episode 12

About this episode

Emma Baccellieri discusses the growth of the WNBA and its implications for women's basketball.

One of the most fascinating sports business stories of the moment is the explosive growth of the WNBA. TV viewership is up dramatically, multiple teams sell out regularly, and stars like Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson have become household names. This year, the players’ union won a groundbreaking new contract, including their first-ever revenue share and a 4x jump in minimum salaries. The league’s recent surge in popularity has also brought new questions of access. The WNBA was the only major ...

People in this episode

Guest: Emma Baccellieri

Topics covered

  • women's basketball
  • WNBA growth
  • sports business
  • player contracts
  • TV viewership
  • access issues

Keywords

  • WNBA
  • women's basketball
  • Emma Baccellieri
  • Caitlin Clark
  • A’ja Wilson
  • sports business
  • player contracts

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: WNBA, players’ union

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