WNBA Finals Game 1 Pulls in 2.5 Million Peak Viewers, Breaks 28-Year Record

The opening game of the 2025 WNBA Finals, Game 1, set viewership records for the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury, averaging 1.9 million viewers on ESPN and topping out at 2.5 million at its peak. It was the most-watched Game 1 in over 28 years since the league adopted a series format. Game 2 pulled in 1.2 million viewers on average, which is also significant.

The WNBA announced the record via social media, noting that the 2.5 million peak represented a 62% increase over last year's Finals opener. The increase in audience attendance clearly indicates a demand for women's sport, due in large part to a wider fan base, a more competitive product, and a fresh round of stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.

In terms of competition, the Aces squeaked past the Mercury 89-86 in an exhilarating game that garnered national attention and appeared to rate well throughout the entire game broadcast.

Adding to the league's momentum, the Golden State Valkyries — the WNBA's newest expansion franchise — sold out all home games during their debut season. Their success represents a new stage of engagement and monetization throughout the league.

Despite the Finals' record-setting opening still representing amazing movement for the league, it looks like there is more internal and external dissatisfaction, which may limit long-term growth.

The new record draws comparison to the 1997 championship opener, which remains the highest-rated Game 1 in league history. These examples of regular-season milestones — the Indiana Fever's game against the Chicago Sky, for example, received 2.7 million viewers — display an even larger cultural shift towards more visibility and support for women and women's sports.