Bill Burr attended his first WNBA game with his daughter and came away impressed, especially by Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese’s spirited celebration. On the October 14, 2026, episode of the podcast Pardon My Take, the comedian described the experience as a great time and praised the players and atmosphere he witnessed during the outing.
Burr spoke with hosts Big Cat and PFT Commenter about professional women’s basketball, contrasting his positive remarks with comments he made in a 2022 Netflix stand-up special, Live at Red Rocks. Back then, he questioned the league’s public support, joking about small crowds and challenging audiences to name WNBA players and teams. This time, however, Burr’s tone was more favorable after seeing a live game.
He did not specify which matchup he attended but noted the warmups caught his attention for their precision and similarity to those he had seen at NBA games. Burr said the pregame routine reflected the professionalism of the players and the league. He also noticed less flopping compared to men’s professional basketball, calling it one of the reasons he enjoyed the competition and its physical approach.
During the podcast, Burr questioned the teams’ heavy reliance on three-point shooting despite a slow first quarter. He suggested they might benefit from focusing more on layups and midrange attempts. The observation came as part of his broader analysis of the game’s flow and style.
Burr singled out Angel Reese for praise after describing a moment when the Atlanta Dream forward waved goodbye to an eliminated playoff opponent. He said Reese’s celebration showed a personality that added entertainment value to the sport. Burr compared Reese to a wrestling heel, a character audiences are meant to oppose, but found her confident response engaging because it followed a playoff win rather than focusing on individual scoring.
Reese has had a standout season in 2026. She led the WNBA with 12.1 rebounds per game and set a new league record with 521 total rebounds, along with 32 double-doubles in the season. On October 1, she was named WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player from the Atlanta Dream to earn the award after receiving 46 votes from 74 sportswriters and broadcasters.
The 2026 WNBA season also saw significant growth in attendance and viewership. The league recorded 3.8 million spectators across 330 regular-season games, with an average crowd of 11,474 per game. This figure surpassed the previous league record from 2025 by 21%, helped by an expanded schedule. There were 212 sellouts, accounting for 64% of all regular-season home games. Four franchises sold out every home game, indicating strong support across multiple markets.
Broadcast numbers reached new heights as well. More than 90 million unique viewers watched WNBA coverage on national networks during the regular season. A record 51 games averaged over 1 million viewers, compared with 19 in 2025. Fans spent over 320 million hours watching league content, with the highest single-game audience recorded on August 23, when the Chicago Sky faced the Indiana Fever. That game drew an average of 3.31 million viewers across NBC and Peacock.
Social media engagement also rose sharply, with WNBA accounts generating 4 billion views during the regular season, a 28% increase over 2025. The league gained over 1 million new followers across its platforms, pushing total followers beyond 11.4 million. The official WNBA app downloaded more than 700,000 times, reflecting growing digital interest. Engagement climbed 24% compared to the previous season.
Beyond the court, the league’s culture attracted attention, illustrated by New York Liberty’s mascot Ellie the Elephant attending New York Fashion Week in a violet sequin gown and crimson coat.
The 2026 playoffs have featured strong performances from the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream, who both swept their semifinal series to reach the WNBA Finals. The Valkyries finished the regular season with a 32-12 record and made their first Finals appearance in just their second season. The Dream matched their franchise-best 30-14 record and returned to the Finals for the first time since 2013, having previously reached it in 2010 and 2011 without winning a championship.
After attending the game, Burr said he continued watching WNBA contests on television, recalling that he had watched a full game the night before the podcast recording. This suggested his interest extended beyond the initial live experience, though he did not claim to follow every team or schedule broadcasts regularly.
According to Yahoo Sports.