The WNBA had long been in the shadows. Thankfully, with the emergence of stars like Caitlin Clark and co., the league gained momentum. What started last year has now evolved into a full-blown gala. This year, the WNBA’s visibility has been quite significant. And as a result, renowned names from other sports took interest in the ‘W.’ The likes of Tom Brady praised Becky Hammon and A’ja Wilson following their championship run. And while all these were hints about the league gaining momentum, a recent update from ESPN has now confirmed the same.
In a recent announcement, ESPN released the viewership data for the season. And one glance at it will surely make the WNBA fans happy. That’s because the numbers are at an all-time high this time!
WNBA Records Viewership Without Caitlin Clark In 2025
Clark was surely one of the biggest names that propelled the WNBA’s popularity. Unfortunately, while the Fever star was looking to have a blast, her groin injury kept her out of the entire season. But that did not seemingly stop the fans from tuning in. With some incredible performances from A’Ja Wilson and Paige Bueckers, the WNBA skyrocketed in its viewership ratings.
According to reports from ESPN, the network delivered the highest viewership across the WNBA regular and postseason ever. This report was based on the data collected by the Nielsen Big Data+ panel. Now, coming to the details, the WNBA regular season games had a total of 1.3 million viewers. This was a good 6% higher than the year-over-year.
History made! 🏀
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) October 16, 2025
The 2025 #WNBA season on ESPN networks was the most-watched EVER across the regular season & postseason 👏
Details: https://t.co/AO0qxKUUee pic.twitter.com/RBtp7028F4
The excitement did not die down in the postseason, either. According to the data, the 24 postseason games had a cumulative viewership of 1.2 million. This was also a record high since the 1999 season, which garnered 1.3 viewership. Meanwhile, the hints of the viewership count increasing were already there. Fever vs. Aces’ semifinals series set a viewership record. And that was not all. The viewership also went up during the finals.
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Las Vegas Aces vs. Phoenix Mercury Game 1 Win Sets A 28-Year WNBA Viewership Record
The WNBA finals were a cracker this year. Despite the Aces dominating proceedings with a 4-0 clean sweep of the Mercury, the competition was extremely high. Likewise, Game 1 of the finals had names like Wilson and Alyssa Thomas suiting up. And these players have a massive fan following across the WNBA realm.
And while the game went to the Aces, an article from WNBA Communications brought some extremely good news. It was reported that the game was the most-viewed Game 1 final in 28 years. The statistics also revealed that the event had a record-breaking average of 1.9 million. It even reached a high of 2.5 million viewers, reflecting the immense popularity the league has gained.
Surely, all the signs are pointing towards the WNBA slowly beginning to pick up the pace. And in the coming season, with Clark’s return, the numbers are expected to increase even further.