WNBA Finals Game 5 sees most viewers of century to cap historic season

The 2024 WNBA season was a historical 1 connected galore levels, and its ending with Game 5 successful the WNBA Finals betwixt the champion New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx was the cherry connected apical successful presumption of viewership. 

This overtime thriller, wherever the New York Liberty took down the Lynx, 67-62, to seizure the franchise’s first-ever title, was the most-viewed WNBA Finals crippled successful 25 years crossed each networks, according to ESPN, which cited Nielsen data. 

The game, which aired connected ESPN, topped retired astatine 3.3 cardinal viewers and was the fourth-most viewed WNBA Finals crippled ever crossed each networks ever. 

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New York Liberty guardant Jonquel Jones (35) holds up the MVP trophy aft defeating the Minnesota Lynx successful overtime to triumph the 2024 WNBA Finals astatine Barclays Center. (Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images)

This year’s WNBA Finals arsenic a full saw a 115% summation successful viewership compared to past year’s series. 

It’s nary concealed the WNBA saw a monolithic leap successful viewership this twelvemonth successful ample portion owed to the incoming rookie people headlined by Indiana Fever apical prime Caitlin Clark, Chicago Sky ascendant guardant Angel Reese and overmuch more.

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Clark, the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year, drew galore viewers successful her 2 playoff games with the Fever against the Connecticut Sun. The archetypal crippled recorded 1.84 cardinal viewers, portion Game 2 saw different grounds assemblage of 2.54 cardinal viewers. 

The Fever mislaid some games to the Sun, but considering they were competing with an NFL Sunday — conscionable arsenic the Liberty and Lynx were successful Game 5 of the Finals — shows conscionable however entertaining this play has been. 

These Finals were besides competing with Game 6 of the NLCS, wherever the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Mets to punch their summons into the World Series.

New York Liberty guardant Breanna Stewart (30) looks to station up against Minnesota Lynx guardant Napheesa Collier (24) successful the 4th fourth during crippled 5 of the 2024 WNBA Finals astatine Barclays Center. (Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images)

The Finals featured the 2 apical playoff seeds successful the star-studded No. 1 Liberty, led by WNBA perennial All-Stars Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones. The No. 2 Lynx, led by Napheesa Collier, gave New York a tally successful their ain gathering earlier yet moving retired of state astatine Barclays Center successful overtime. 

The WNBA’s accrued viewership, arsenic good arsenic its attendance for games and engagement connected societal media and elsewhere, has been awesome to watch. 

And it’s lone expected to proceed its dependable trajectory upward, arsenic a caller media rights deal, which was negotiated arsenic portion of the NBA’s ain deal, is worthy $2.2 cardinal implicit 11 seasons. 

New York Liberty defender Sabrina Ionescu (20) celebrates aft defeating the Minnesota Lynx successful overtime to triumph the 2024 WNBA Finals astatine Barclays Center. (Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images)

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The league volition besides beryllium expanding with caller teams popping up, with the Golden State Valkyries acceptable to statesman their inaugural play successful 2025. Toronto, which volition beryllium the WNBA’s archetypal squad extracurricular the United States, and Portland are besides acceptable for caller teams arsenic well. 

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