Watch your favorite players, teams, and behind the scenes action on the newly transformed WNBA app.
At the end of a jam-packed 2022 WNBA season, when well-deserved rest was given to its 12 teams and their rosters, its digital team kept working. The team — in response to feedback from fans throughout the season — collaborated with Deloitte to set their sights on a modernized and user-friendly app experience for fans.
Today, it comes to life.
As the WNBA continues to rapidly grow, it needed an app to be able to contain all of the features its fans want to see. What was your favorite player wearing before dropping a triple-double? What was that buzzer-beater that sent your favorite team into overtime? The new WNBA app answers these questions and more.
By implementing short-form vertical video elements, app-exclusive story series and a plethora of streaming options, the WNBA’s digital team transformed the WNBA App into a foundational “one-stop-shop” that allows users to experience the game and connect with players at a whole new level.
NBA.com chatted with Devin Ward, Director of WNBA Digital Products, to discuss all things app transformation, and how this is just the beginning for the W’s digital growth.
Editor’s Note: The following conversation has been condensed and edited.
What has been your role in the creation of the new WNBA app?
My role has been to transform our digital products and build the team needed to support them. The easiest way to sum it all up is I keep the ball moving, the team motivated and make sure the needs of our fans, partners, players, teams, and staff are met.
The WNBA mobile app is one part of this transformation, which tiers up to a larger growth strategy across WNBA.com, WNBA App, and our live gaming offering — WNBA League Pass. I can confidently say now that we’ve built a strong foundation for all our products, with a scalable roadmap for the future, this will only accelerate the league’s momentum, visibility, and growth.
Walk me through the process of creating this app … what did the initial brainstorming look like?
Coming off our 2022 season, there was a lot of fan feedback across our products that we needed to address. The mobile app work tipped off in October 2022 when we defined all product priorities based on the fan needs. Through proprietary research, fan insights, and a competitive analysis, we created a handful of user journeys and personas that informed our overarching app strategy.
The strategy included three key themes that’s priority was meeting the needs and interests of our growing and diverse fan base; a home for compelling content, enhanced access to engage more deeply with the WNBA and a simplification of user flows. From complete app development lifecycle, from strategy, design, and development to launch an impactful new app for our fans. Looking towards the future, we will now be able to use the engagement fans have with our products to further understand our fan base, ultimately providing a platform to drive new fans, lifelong fans and new business opportunities.
What feature are you personally most excited about that’s in the app?
I am excited about the short-form vertical content. WNBA players are amazing women and these immersive videos will enable us to amplify their stories, on and off the court, in a consumable, user-friendly fashion. As social media is changing the way content is consumed, vertical video allows fans to interact with the content and feel closer than ever by scrolling through stories, taking polls and quizzes, and sharing the latest with family and friends.
What makes the WNBA App unique from other W platforms, and sports apps in general?
The WNBA has only been around about a third of the time compared to other men sport leagues. To finally join ourselves on the same court as other leading sport apps today with foundational features, an intentional and strategic roadmap, and an agile process in place … the sky is our limit. I’m honored to have led a project that opens the doors for women, sharing with the world why women’s sports matter, why investing in the fan and your team matters. These new fan destinations were built by some extremely strong, hardworking females in tech, just like the ones out on the WNBA courts. It’s a testament that when you have a great team, there’s no ceiling to what you can accomplish.
How does it feel seeing the app coming into fruition? What’s one word to describe it, and why?
Inspirational. Launching new digital destinations in 18 months is no easy undertaking. When you have a determined team that believes in the power of this league and future it has on the legacy of women sports, great things happen. I believe this league and our players deserve something they’re proud of. Digital IS the way of the future and it’s about time our products reflected that. It’s only up from here!
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Check out some of the newest features from the new WNBA App:
