The WNBA is trying to innovate. To spice up the regular season, it added a Commissioner’s Cup competition, which brought more views and active participation from the fans. In 2025, the league came up with the idea of “Rivalry Week.” This is a great idea for new and old fans who want to see competitive action on the floor.
But in its first edition, the league might face multiple challenges. Some could even make the idea look ‘trash,’ while others could be unstable. So, can it live up to the hype the W wanted to generate?
WNBA Rivals Week Under Scrutiny
Sports fans are drawn to narratives. A more intense and lovable narrative is a more profitable selling point for any league. The WNBA also came up with a ‘rivalry week’ narrative, with a week-long fixture between two competent teams that are geographically or talent-wise rivals. As per the WNBA’s schedule, the rivalry week started on August 9 and will end on August 17.
It was a brilliant plan to keep the fans hooked at the closing moments of the season and also educate them a bit about future engagements. Sadly, the idea behind Rival Week fell flat with the opening game—Indiana Fever vs. Chicago Sky.
There are two reasons for this: the absence of two superstars, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, and the vast difference between the current forms of the two teams. Similar was the case for the rest of the rivals’ week schedules except for the Lynx vs. Liberty matchup, which also missed its two superstars to injuries, Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.
Did the WNBA drop the ball with Rivals Week? 🤔@CasNegley and @carolinefenton1 react to the league’s newest initiative. pic.twitter.com/s31VsJcyGX
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 12, 2025
Regarding the Rivals week, analysts Carolina Fenton and Cassendra Negley mentioned that the idea was good, but the execution was poor. Negley added that the packed schedules also hampered the players’ intensity in the games. Poor officiating and physical play also affected players’ conditioning this season.
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The results of TV ratings and records have yet to be disclosed, but fans on social media are already calling the ‘rivalry week’ a big flop due to the poor quality of the games and the absence of superstars.
What The WNBA Needs To Do For Rivalry Week Success
Well, injuries are not in the league’s control, but fatigue is. The league can lower player fatigue by giving longer breaks between the two regular-season games. Players are already complaining about the tight schedule and the shorter recovery period; giving them a breather would be a great solution.
Also, as Fenton mentioned, the league now needs to market its players more than focus on expansions and growth. The players and teams bringing in more fans will automatically positively impact the growth.
While the idea behind starting rivalry week is a great sign, showing the league’s intent to care for its fanbase, poor execution would hurt the WNBA more.