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Jemele Hill, Cari Champion call out WNBA for not allowing journalists to fully cover league

The WNBA has seen a massive surge in popularity, with regular-season viewership averaging 771,000 per game, a 26-year high. This growth continued into the playoffs, with the WNBA Finals Game 1 between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream featuring 2.1 million viewers, the highest ever for a series opener.

Despite these records, broadcasters Jemele Hill and Cari Champion argue that restrictive media policies are hindering the league's potential.

They pointed to instances where the Valkyries went three days without media access during the semifinals and the Indiana Fever revoking Scott Agness's credentials after he reported on a hidden injury. Champion suggests that front offices avoid criticism and bully journalists to control the narrative.

With Commissioner Cathy Engelbert departing after this season and three expansion teams arriving by 2030, Champion hopes for a more open approach to media relations.

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