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The 2025 WNBA season is off to a record-breaking start. Opening weekend saw nearly 90% of arenas filled, with the Golden State Valkyries’ debut drawing over 18,000 fans at a sold-out Chase Center. Caitlin Clark’s sophomore opener for the Indiana Fever averaged 2.7 million viewers and peaked at 3.1 million, making it the most-watched WNBA regular-season game in 25 years. This surge reflects more than just WNBA momentum; it’s part of a broader cultural shift toward women’s sports — recent CivicScience data shows the WNBA is now the most popular women’s sport, overtaking NCAA women’s basketball, which led in 2024.
Answer our Poll: How closely do you follow the WNBA?
New CivicScience data show that one-third of U.S. adults say they’re at least somewhat likely to watch WNBA games this season, with 11% ‘very’ likely to tune in. Men are three percentage points more likely than women to watch, showing that male viewers are a key part of the league’s growing audience. Among women, Gen Z (aged 18-29) and Millennial (aged 30-44) fans are the most engaged, but interest is even stronger among Gen Z men, positioning them as one of the league’s key fan bases.
With strong overall interest in the 2025 season, this analysis examines the likely WNBA viewers and compares them to non-watchers to better understand the underlying factors shaping viewership.
