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Of significant interest from a business perspective was how much viewership the WNBA All-Star Game would draw without injured Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark — and without last year’s compelling setup of the WNBA All Stars versus Team USA.
We now have our answer.
The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game averaged 2.2 million viewers on ABC, down significantly from last year’s record 3.44 million viewers on the network. The context for last year’s game: It was the first time in 19 years that the All-Star Game crossed the one million viewership mark and only the third time in history (2003 and 2005) when the game topped the 1 million viewers. To give you a recent reference point: The game drew 850,000 viewers on ABC in 2023.
In 2003, the game drew 1.44 million viewers, and in 2005, it attracted 1.29 million viewers. Both games featured a West versus East format.
The numbers for this year’s game reveal that Clark’s absence had a massive impact. They also show that there is viewer growth interest in the WNBA All-Star Game.
Where the WNBA and its media partners should feel good is with the Friday Night Skills and 3-Point Challenge. That event drew 1.3 million viewers on ESPN and ESPN+, up significantly from last year’s 695,000 viewers. The league and ESPN can likely juice these numbers next year by moving it to ABC and adding another event, such as a first-year versus second-year game.
Clark sat out this year’s 3-point contest and All-Star Game after suffering a right groin injury during the Fever’s road win over the Connecticut Sun last Tuesday night. It was supposed to be her second straight start in the All-Star Game, which was held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Fever’s home arena.
This year’s game featured Team Collier (led by the Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier) versus Team Clark. Team Collier won 151-131, setting an All-Star Game points record.
(Photo: Trevor Ruszkowski / Imagn Images)
