The WNBA Semifinals between the Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces had it all. It has drama, suspense, grit, determination, and skill.
All of which culminated in the Aces winning in five games and advancing to the WNBA Finals to take on the Phoenix Mercury. Thus, ending the Fever's gritty ride to the postseason following a rash of injuries affecting core talent, such as Caitlin Clark.
On Thursday, the ratings for the series came in, and it did well despite Clark not being on the floor, per
Nekias Duncan of Yahoo Sports. Overall, the series averaged 1.56 million viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA semifinals ever.
Furthermore, it marked an 83% increase from last year. Game 5 in itself was a hard-fought battle that went into overtime. It also had its heart-wrenching moments, most notably Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell leaving the game due to injury.
Later on, she was taken to the hospital and was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a rare muscle injury that causes temporary paralysis of the legs.
Meanwhile, the Aces are making their third trip to the WNBA Finals in the last four years. In 2022, they secured their first title over the Connecticut Sun. The following year, they won their second straight title over the New York Liberty.
WNBA viewership continues to grow in 2025
Building off the success in 2024, viewership of the WNBA is only growing stronger. On the whole, viewership of nationally televised games averaged 969,000 viewers during this regular season, representing a 3% increase from last year.
ESPN saw a 6% increase to 1.3 million viewers, while CBS saw a 16% increase to 1.27 million. Greater accessibly to watch games and the prominence of additional stars have led to more viewers.
Meanwhile, Clark only played for 13 games this season due to a battle with a groin injury. In early September, Clark announced that she was done for the season.
Nevertheless, the people still watched.
