at 
Historic Changes for the WNBA Finals
The WNBA has announced a groundbreaking expansion to its Finals format, setting the stage for a best-of-seven series starting in 2025. This significant change marks the league’s first departure from shorter playoff series, introducing a 2-2-1-1-1 format where the team with the better season record will host Games 1, 2, 5, and 7. This new setup will first be seen in the clash between the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx during the 2024 championship series.
Regular Season and Playoffs Format Revamp
In addition to the Finals expansion, the WNBA will increase each team’s regular season games from 40 to 44. This change coincides with the introduction of a new team, the Golden State Valkyries. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert highlighted the surge in league popularity as a key driver for these expansions, citing increased fan engagement and a thriving demand for women’s basketball.
The playoff structure will also see adjustments, particularly in the first round, which will now follow a 1-1-1 format. This alteration ensures that both competing teams will host at least one playoff game, enhancing fan participation and attendance.
Surge in Viewership and Media Deals
The 2024 playoffs have witnessed structural changes and a significant rise in viewership, achieving the highest ratings in 25 years. The first 17 games of the playoffs drew an average of 970,000 viewers, marking a 142% increase from the previous year and setting a new record since the league’s inception in 1997.
The popularity of players like Caitlin Clark has been instrumental in driving these numbers, which continued to soar even after her team, the Indiana Fever, was eliminated. The two semifinal series averaged 850,000 viewers across nine games, nearly doubling the audience from the previous year. This success has contributed to the WNBA securing a lucrative $2.2 billion media rights deal with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon, ensuring wider coverage of the semifinals and WNBA Finals across multiple platforms.
As the Finals approach, featuring top-seeded New York Liberty against the second-seeded Minnesota Lynx, fans can look forward to a star-studded showdown with prominent players like Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Napheesa Collier. This pivotal moment in WNBA history not only celebrates the league’s current achievements but also sets a promising stage for its future.
