The WNBA has shattered its single-season attendance record, drawing 2,501,609 spectators across 226 games, the league said on Thursday. The previous mark, set in 2002, required 256 games and a 16-team lineup, underscoring the strength of this year’s turnout with only 13 franchises and three weeks still remaining in the regular season. Several factors are fueling the surge. This is the first campaign with a 44-game schedule and the first to feature an expansion club in 17 years—the Golden State Valkyries—whose home dates all sold out. Television interest is also climbing: average viewership of 794,000 is running 21% ahead of last season, according to Front Office Sports. The growth comes despite lengthy injury absences for marquee players such as Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and MVP candidate Napheesa Collier. New talent has stepped in, with Dallas rookie Paige Bueckers tying the league’s single-game rookie scoring record at 44 points on Wednesday. With the postseason and a newly extended best-of-seven Finals still ahead, attendance figures are expected to rise further. The surge strengthens the players’ case for higher pay and revenue sharing as the union and league negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement before the Oct. 31 deadline.