The WNBA continues to skyrocket. Young stars are taking the league by storm, drawing new fans. Even when players like Indiana’s Caitlin Clark miss time due to injury, their impact on the league is substantial.
Throw in the addition of expansion teams like the Golden State Valkyries and the addition of Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029) and Philadelphia (2030), and the excitement for the future is off the charts.
However, as great as the future will be and the regular season has been, nothing compares to the hype the WNBA playoffs bring. Eight teams, one goal, and for the first time in WNBA history, the Finals have been expanded to a best-of-seven format.
With the changes in format, the inclusion of the Valkyries in their inaugural season, and sure-fire favorites like the Minnesota Lynx, the WNBA playoffs offer more this year than ever before. The WNBA released their postseason schedule on Wednesday.
2025 WNBA playoff schedule
The WNBA playoffs will begin at 1 p.m. ET on September 14, with Game 7 of the WNBA Finals set for 8 p.m. ET on October 17. Of course, the Finals could end before depending on how many games of the best-of-seven series wind up being necessary.
All games will be broadcast on either ABC, ESPN or ESPN2.
The regular season concludes on September 9.
2025 WNBA ratings
Viewership on ABC increased by 13% between 2024 and 2025, averaging 1.4 million viewers. That makes 2025 the biggest season in WNBA history in terms of viewership. Sports Business Journal also reports that, despite more than two weeks to go until the end of the season, the WNBA has already broken the all-time attendance record set previously in 2002.
The league has already accumulated more than 2.5 million fans at its games and is expected to approach three million by season’s end.
In 2024, Sports Business Journal also reported viewership with girls age 18-34 had increased by an astonishing 54 points. A large proportion of that viewership increase has been attributed to the recent increase in interest for college basketball as well.
The Wall Street Journal’s Rachel Bachman said the ‘influx of college fans is contributing to another big shift in WNBA viewership.’ Given how big the rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese was when the two played at Iowa and LSU respectively, it only makes sense that several fans would continue watching it unfold at the professional level.
Throw in Connecticut’s Paige Bueckers, and it’s no wonder the league has grown tremendously since the three of them entered.