The WNBA is extending the regular season and moving to the 2025 Finals in a seven-game series format, capitalizing on numerous records set this year by Indiana Fever stars. Caitlin Clarke.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced the news Thursday before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals between the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty.
Kathy Engelbert speaks to the media prior to the WNBA's match against the USA Basketball Women's National Basketball Team during the 2024 WNBA All Star Game on July 20, 2024, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. (Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images)
“The finals are the culmination of what I believe has been the most transformative year for me WNBA History,” – said Engelbert.
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“You saw all the statistics we published – viewership, attendance, merchandise sales, online engagement – at or near record levels. To put this into perspective, some statistics that provide insight into what happened, the WNBA significantly exceeded the industry average for live games in 2024.”
He continued: “The league's growth and increased demand for WNBA basketball make this the perfect time to expand the schedule, extend the Finals and provide fans with more opportunities to see the world's best players compete at the highest level.”
Caitlin Clark (left) poses with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on April 15, 2024, in New York City. (Brad Penner – USA TODAY Sports)
The league currently has a best-of-three semi-final and a best-of-three first round play-off. In the new format, the best of seven will advance to the final. Engelbart also announced that the regular season would be extended to 44 games.
Caitlin Clark's final game of her rookie campaign marked another milestone in the WNBA
This expansion follows the undeniable impact that WNBA Rookie of the Year Kaitlyn Clarke has had on the league.
League officials said more than 2.3 million fans attended games this season, the most in 22 years, and teams recorded a total of 154 no-ticket tickets – up from 45 last season. fever The WNBA led with an average attendance of just under 17,000 viewers, and their 10 games set league television viewing records – many of them in front of a sold-out crowd.
Indiana finished the regular season with another record, playing in front of a crowd of 20,711 fans, the largest attendance in WNBA history.
The WNBA saw a record 22 regular-season television broadcasts, which averaged at least 1 million viewers. According to the report Sports business journal, Clark played in 19 games.
Caitlin Clark, number 22 of the Indiana Fever, celebrates during a game against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 24, 2024, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. (Adam Pantoji/NBA via Getty Images)
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The league expanded to 15 teams, the last of which went to Portland.
The WNBA recently announced a landmark media rights agreement with The Walt Disney Company, Amazon Prime Video and NBCUniversal, which runs through 2036, and a multi-year partnership with Delta Air Lines, which has become an official airline partner of the WNBA.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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