The WNBA finals series concluded earlier than expected as the Las Vegas Aces left very little room for their opponents to make a comeback in the series. A 4-0 series win was not a statement win for the Aces, but a reminder of their dominance in the WNBA.
Yet the Aces-Mercury series set a viewership record from the opening game as the broadcaster revealed the ratings. But there is a different picture to this record.
Las Vegas Aces’ Triumph Over Phoenix Mercury Negatively Impacted Viewership
The WNBA’s rise is undeniable, with merchandise and ticket sales speaking volumes. Simultaneously, the broadcasters were willing to pay more, given the high demand for the games. As expected, they need more eyeballs to justify the investment, and the 2025 season’s ratings were encouraging.
ESPN revealed the data on social media and wrote, “ESPN recorded the most-watched WNBA postseason (Playoffs + Finals) EVER across its networks👏,” The graphics also showed 5% increase in the postseason average, which surged to 1.2 million viewers.
However, there is one fact that is particularly notable – a decline in views per Finals game, which could be a subject for scrutiny. ESPN’s graphic noted that the 2025 WNBA Finals were the second-most-watched on ESPN networks, as the 2024 WNBA Finals between the Liberty and the Lynx topped the charts.
The WNBA is seeing its best Finals viewership through 3 games in 25 years.
— Margaret Fleming (@mgfleming12) October 10, 2025
Game 1: 1.9 million viewers
Game 2: 1.2 million viewers
Game 3: 1.3 million viewershttps://t.co/F2VgTOqXq4
Scroll to continue reading
Trending WNBA News
One obvious reason for the drop would be ‘entertainment value’. The Lynx vs. Liberty series went down to the wire, as both teams had an equal chance at the championship. In the Aces vs Mercury series, there was no suspense, even though the Arizona team put up an excellent performance on the floor. The Aces hold a firm grip from start to finish and lifted the championship.
Another possible reason would be the absence of Caitlin Clark, who was the ‘driver’ of the entire surge in the league, and her absence might have affected the views.
Caitlin Clark’s Impact Is Still Visible In WNBA Despite Las Vegas Aces Vs. Phoenix Mercury Finals’ Viewership Record
The Indiana Fever also set a viewership record in the 2025 season despite their star player missing 31 games. This was an incredible feat considering the franchise’s massive numbers in the previous season. Though Clark didn’t play in the games, she was on the sidelines for every game, including the astonishing playoff run.
Her impact came into light when the league had its All-Star weekend. The All-Star Game received a huge response from the fans, but the numbers were still less than the 2024 edition when the Fever guard participated. Additionally, her injury kept her out for a significant part of the season, yet she still received the highest number of votes in the All-Star selection.
This clearly indicates that if the healthy Fever side had been in the WNBA finals, the viewership number would have been nastier.