There's a Shift Underway Among WNBA Fans

Not that long ago, it was mostly women who attended WNBA games, and they typically paid low prices for their tickets. Now that the game is becoming more popular, ticket prices are rising fast—and a lot more men are going to games, writes Albert Samaha in the Washington Post. The result is "a more tribal, toxic atmosphere," with lots more nasty heckling of players. The story quotes a longtime female fan of the New York Liberty who sums things up:

• "That space we built in the [WNBA] where we lift each other up, for the first time it's really being challenged," says 52-year-old Eulalia Brooks. "Last year was more caustic, more tribal. It's wild seeing how it's shifted."

This season has seen a surge in abuse—both online and in person—directed at players, and league officials are trying to keep it in check while simultaneously trying to grow the fan base. It's a tricky balance, explains Samaha. "More fans mean more money to pay players, more nationally televised games, more sellout crowds energizing the atmosphere," he writes. "But it also has meant more expensive tickets, more money being gambled on games and—most alarming to longtime fans—more divisive voices crashing into a community centered on inclusion." Read the full story.