2025 WNBA playoff schedule released as league sees younger audience surge
Throw in the addition of expansion teams like the Golden State Valkyries and the upcoming teams in Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029), and Philadelphia (2030), and the excitement for the future of the league is off the charts.
However, as great as the future will be and the regular season has been, nothing compares to the hype that the WNBA playoffs bring. Eight teams, one goal, and for the first time in WNBA history, the Finals have been expanded to a best-of-7 format.
With the changes in format, the inclusion of the Valkyries in their inaugural season, and sure-fire favorites like the Minnesota Lynx, the WNBA playoffs offer more this year than ever before. And the league has just released their postseason schedule.
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2025 WNBA Playoff Schedule:
The WNBA Playoffs will begin on Sunday, September 14 at 1 p.m. ET, with Game 7 of the WNBA Finals set for October 17 at 8 p.m. ET. Of course, the Finals could end before depending on how many games of the best-of-seven series wind up being necessary.
All games will be broadcast on either ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2.
The regular season concludes on September 9.
2025 WNBA ratings
Viewership on ABC increased by 13% between 2024 and 2025, averaging 1.4 million viewers. That makes 2025 the biggest season in WNBA history in terms of viewership. Sports Business Journal also reports that, despite more than two weeks to go until the end of the season, the WNBA has already broken the all-time attendance record set previously in 2002.
The league has already accumulated more than 2.5 million fans at its games and is expected to approach three million by season's end.
In 2024, Sports Business Journal also reported that viewership with girls age 18-34 had increased by an astonishing 54 points. A large proportion of that viewership increase has been attributed to the recent increase in interest for college basketball as well.
The Wall Street Journal's Rachel Bachman claims the "influx of college fans is contributing to another big shift in WNBA viewership." Given how big the rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese was when the two played at Iowa and LSU respectively, it only makes sense that several fans would continue watching it unfold at the professional level.
Throw in the intrigue that Connecticut's Paige Bueckers brought as well, and it's no wonder the league has grown tremendously since the three of them entered.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA releases 2025 playoff schedule amid rising ratings
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