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By Ziga Poromon and Maggie Hsu, January 21 2025—
Despite the looming and tension-filled CBA negotiations that overshadowed the season, the 2025 WNBA season was full of surprises, record-breaking statistics and phenomenal basketball.
The season started with record-breaking crowds, as arenas were full of WNBA fans eager to watch their local teams or favourite players ball out. Over three million fans attended WNBA games this season, breaking the record previously set in the 2002 season, when over two million fans attended.
Records were broken not only in the stands but also on the screens. The regular season averaged nearly 800,000, marking a 21 percent increase from last year. Plus, the WNBA averaged 1.3 million viewers across 25 games on ESPN — not far behind the NBA’s 1.5 million across their entire season across its major networks (ESPN, ABC and TNT). The highest-viewed regular-season game between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever pulled 2.7 million viewers. The surge in popularity owes much to a new generation of charismatic and skilled rising stars, such as Angel Reese, Paige Beuckers and Caitlin Clark. As the saying goes, “Everybody watches women’s sports.”
The rise of a new generation
This season marked the arrival of a new era of talent. Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick and NCAA Women’s Basketball Champion from the University of Connecticut, lived up to the hype. Her performance with the Dallas Wings earned her Rookie of the Year honours where she dropped 44 points in a single game — setting a record for the most by any player this season..
Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen of the Washington Mystics also made waves, both being named All-Stars in their debut season. Citron set a franchise single-season scoring record, while Iriafen broke the Mystics’ single-season records for double-doubles and rebounds.
Off the Court
Courtney Williams and Natasha Hiedeman of the Minnesota Lynx — affectionately known as The Stud Budz — provided fans with nonstop entertainment off the court. During All-Star Weekend in Indiana, the duo hosted a 72-hour Twitch livestream, giving viewers an inside look at the festivities. Their name reflects their shared identity as two masculine-presenting, Black gay women and their humour combined with their authenticity earned them a devoted fanbase beyond basketball.
Eyes on expansion
One of the biggest storylines of 2025 was expansion. The Golden State Valkyries, based in the Bay Area, made their inaugural season one for the history books. They set an all-time record for total attendance as more than 390,000 fans packed Ballhalla — the nickname for San Francisco’s Chase Centre — and sold out 22 games.
Veronica Burton earned Most Improved Player after a breakout year [include some stats], while Natalie Nakase made history as the first Asian-American WNBA head coach and the first coach of an expansion team to win Coach of the Year in their debut season. Valued at $500 million, the Valkyries are now the most valuable women’s sports team in history and the first expansion team ever to reach the playoffs in their first year.
The momentum for more women’s basketball continues as further expansion is on the horizon. In 2026, Canada will welcome its first WNBA team — the Toronto Tempo, led by former New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello — alongside the return of the Portland Fire. The league also announced plans to grow to 18 teams in the coming years, with franchises in Detroit, Cleveland and Philadelphia.
Basketball’s newest dynasty: the Las Vegas Aces
The Las Vegas Aces started their season with struggles, but after a text from superstar A’ja Wilson after the team suffered a 53-point loss to the MinnesotaLynx, and a much-needed reset during the All-Star break, the defending champions found their spark and went on a 16-game winning streak. The storybook run brought them all the way to second place in the Western Conference. They went on to sweep the Phoenix Mercury, securing their third championship in four years — a feat achieved previously only by the Houston Comets and Minnesota Lynx.
Playoff broadcasts averaged 1.2 million viewers across 24 games — a 5 percent increase from last year — with Game 1 of the finals peaking at 2.5 million viewers, breaking a 28-year record.
The Aces proved once again why they’re the gold standard of the league. Powerhouse players Jackie Young, Dana Evans, NaLyssa Smith, Jewell Loyd and Chelsea Gray all contributed and played pivotal roles while A’ja Wilson delivered one of the greatest individual seasons in league history, becoming the first WNBA player to post 30 points and 20 rebounds in a single game. She led the league in scoring and ranked second in rebounds and blocks to help her claim her fourth MVP award along with a shared Defensive Player of the Year honour with Lynx forward Alanna Smith.
After another dominant season, A’ja Wilson has asserted herself as the greatest of all time, and the Aces are the coveted dynasty of the league.
