The WNBA is expanding the regular season and moving to a seven-game series format for the Finals in 2025, in a move that will capitalize on the numerous records set this year due in large part to Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced the news Thursday before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals between the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty.
Cathy Engelbert talks to the media before the game between the Team WNBA and the USA Basketball Women’s National Team during the 2024 WNBA All Star Game on July 20, 2024 at Footprint Center in Phoenix. (Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images)
“The finals mark the culmination of what I think is the most transformational year in the WNBA’s history,” Engelbert said.
“You saw all the statistics we put out – viewership, attendance, merch sales, digital engagement – at or near record levels. And to put it in perspective with a few stats that bring insight into what has happened, the WNBA significantly outpaced the industry in average consumption of live games in 2024.”
She continued, “The league’s growth and increased demand for WNBA basketball make this the ideal time to expand the schedule, lengthen the finals, and provide fans more opportunities to see the best players in the world compete at the highest level.”
Caitlin Clark, left, poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after she is selected with the number one overall pick to the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York, on April 15, 2024. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)
The league currently has a best-of-five semifinals and finals in its playoffs with a best-of-three first round. The new format will move to a best-of-seven finals. Engelbert also announced that the regular season will expand to 44 games.
CAITLIN CLARK’S FINAL GAME OF ROOKIE CAMPAIGN MARKS ANOTHER WNBA MILESTONE
The expansion follows the undeniable impact that WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark has had on the league.
The league said more than 2.3 million fans attended games this season, the most in 22 years, and the teams combined for 154 sellouts — up from 45 last season. The Fever’s average attendance of just under 17,000 led the WNBA, and 10 of their games have set league TV viewership records — many in front of sellout crowds.
Indiana also closed out the regular season with another record, playing in front of a crowd of 20,711 fans – the largest attendance in WNBA history.
The WNBA also saw a record 22 regular-season telecasts averaging at least 1 million viewers. According to a report by the Sports Business Journal, Clark played in 19 of those games.
Caitlin Clark, #22 of the Indiana Fever, celebrates during the game against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 24, 2024 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. (Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
The league has also expanded to include 15 teams, with the latest being awarded to Portland.
The WNBA also recently announced a landmark media rights deal with the Walt Disney Company, Amazon Prime Video and NBCUniversal set to run through 2036 and a multi-year partnership with Delta Air Lines, which became the official airline partner of the WNBA.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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