The 2025 WNBA Finals Game 1 between the Las Vegas Aces and the Phoenix Mercury at the Michelob ULTRA Arena is perhaps best remembered for its 89-86 final score. However, the matchup also shattered viewership records, becoming the most-watched Game 1 in over two decades.
According to an ESPN report backed by data from Nielsen, a whopping 1.9 million viewers tuned in to watch the game between the Aces and Mercury.
The matchup also becomes the most-watched Game 1 in history since the league switched to a series format in 1998, with the number of fans watching the game peaking at 2.5 million.
The WNBA shared the incredible news in an X post on Tuesday, as basketball fans and analysts applauded the milestone.
It follows the increasing interest in women’s sports and the momentum that the league is currently riding on, given the exploding popularity of stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
WNBA teams also recorded impressive milestones in the regular season this year, with the Indiana Fever once again leading the pack. The Fever played in the most-watched WNBA regular-season game against the Chicago Sky on ABC, which attracted 2.7 million viewers on May 17, 2025.
The league’s newest team, the Golden State Valkyries, also sold out every home game this season as an expansion team.
Nonetheless, with both fan interest and revenues surging, the WNBA’s growth could just be taking off as long as it finds a way to clear the mounting controversies surrounding it at the moment.
