Which WNBA Team Is Growing Their Online Fanbase The Most?

See which WNBA team is growing its online fanbase fastest, with 2026 social follower gains led by Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings.
Which WNBA Team Is Growing Their Online Fanbase The Most?

Using Social Blade, RotoWire.com pulled the follower increases for each WNBA team that will be playing in the 2026 season. We ranked teams based on the total number of follower increases year-over-year to see which team was gaining the most online traction and buzz ahead of the 2026 season. Stick with RotoWire for all WNBA betting analysis before the season.

Rank 

Team 

Follower Growth 

Indiana Fever 

+862,000 

Dallas Wings 

+352,000 

Golden State Valkyries 

+ 154,000 

Minnesota Lynx 

+ 125,000 

Los Angeles Sparks 

+ 102,000 

New York Liberty 

+ 100,000 

Atlanta Dream 

+84,000 

Las Vegas Aces 

+ 72,000 

Phoenix Mercury 

+ 60,000 

10 

Washington Mystics 

+ 59,000 

11 

Seattle Storm 

+ 56,800 

12 

Connecticut Sun 

+ 45,000 

13 

Chicago Sky 

+ 39,600 

14 

Toronto Tempo 

+ 30,100 

15 

Portland Fire 

+ 18,400 

Fever Lead WNBA Social Media Growth

The top fanbase, growth wise, in the WNBA this year employs arguable the cornerstone player of the league right now, with the Indiana Fever using the ever-growing popularity of guard Caitlin Clark and fellow No. 1 overall pick Aliyah Boston to lead the WNBA in fanbase growth.  

Overall, the Fever capitalized on the team's return to the postseason and their players' combined star power to gain 862,000 followers on social media, more than doubling the next closest club (the Dallas Wings, at +352,000).  

The Fever's traction on social media likely stemmed from the league's No. 2 Instagram follower count leader, with Clark's more than 3.5 million followers ranking behind Angel Reese's following of more than 5 million on the social media site.  

Wings Surge in Followers Behind Bueckers, Fudd

Dallas is no slouch, thanks to the presence of fellow No. 1 pick Paige Buckers, who ranks behind Clark on Instagram with the third-most followers in the league, at more than 2.5 million, likely helping to explain why the Wings had the second-largest surge in followers leaguewide.  

Throw in Dallas' second straight No. 1 overall pick this year (Azzi Fudd), who has more than 770,000 followers of her own and you understand why Dallas' following increased so much online in the immediate aftermath of Monday night's draft.  

Also: Track every confirmed WNBA 2026 salary increase under the new CBA.

Valkyries, Lynx Gain Momentum

While the Fever and Wings were the bellwether teams in the league on social media, other clubs that saw the largest gains were ones that either reached the postseason last year or threatened to do so.  

In the case of the former, you have the Golden State Valkyries, who went 23-21 and reached the postseason in the club's debut campaign, which helped the club gain 154,000 followers on social media, ranking ahead of the powerhouse Minnesota Lynx for the third spot leaguewide.  

The Lynx, meanwhile, gained 125,000 followers on social media, thanks in large part to the team's ability to re-sign stars like Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride, while also bringing in All-Star caliber players like Natasha Howard to join Napheesa Collier when she returns from the injury she suffered against the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA semifinals last year.  

The Sparks represent the latter of the two camps mentioned above, as L.A. missed out on the postseason last year, going 21-23 but featuring a youthful roster headed up by former Stanford star Cameron Brink and four-time All-Star guard Kelsey Plum, who re-signed with the club this offseason.  

All told, L.A.'s combined star power helped the Sparks gain 102,000 followers, putting them just ahead of the always powerful New York Liberty (+100,000 followers), while setting the stage for what should be an action-packed 30th season of WNBA basketball this summer. 

Bookmark our WNBA projections tool before the 2026 season tips off.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christopher has covered the sports betting industry for more than seven years, and takes the lead on both sports analysis and legislative developments for GDC Group. His work has also appeared on ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
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