Women's basketball continues to rise in popularity. If you need proof, then look no further than the WNBA Finals Game 1 between the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty.
The showdown between the top two teams in the WNBA made TV history after it became the “most viewed WNBA Finals Game 1 ever on ESPN network.” It had 729,000 average viewers on ABC, peaking at 885,000 at one point during the contest.
Furthermore, even before the Aces-Liberty Finals kicked off, an average of 371,000 viewers tuned in on its countdown. That is also the most viewed playoffs countdown show since it was introduced in 2022, via ESPN PR.
Sunday's Game 1 of the 2023 #WNBAFinals scored strong viewership across ESPN platforms pic.twitter.com/NRHaFzovNt
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) October 10, 2023
It's not a big surprise that several fans watched the game, though. After all, the Aces and Liberty feature some of the best players and brightest stars in women's basketball today, including reigning MVP Breanna Stewart, Defensive Player of the Year A'ja Wilson, as well as Kelsey Plum, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, Jackie Young and more.
Game 1 of the WNBA Finals was also star-studded, with the likes of LeBron James and Tom Brady among the celebrities and personalities who went to the Michelob ULTRA Arena to watch the showdown live.
Of course it wouldn't draw such a massive audience if the contest disappointed. The Aces and Liberty played an intense game, with both Young and Jones even making histories of their own to lead their respective teams. Young dropped 26 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals to power Las Vegas to the 99-82 win, while Jones had her seventh double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds) in as many games in a losing effort for New York.
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