How to watch the Los Angeles Sparks' 2025 season: Broadcast info, TV and streaming schedule

New York Times

14-05-2025

Did you realize that a Los Angeles Spark threw down the first dunk in WNBA history? And that the second dunker, six years later, also rocked that gold and purple? Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker combined to give this women's basketball franchise an undeniable and towering allure, with three championship banners (2001, 2002, 2016) in the rafters.
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So we've established that LA does it big. Now consider, if you will, 6-foot-4 Cameron Brink, gearing up for her exultant return from an ACL tear. Even if this year is measured by her ability to bounce back and readapt, she has a bright, long-term future as the next great Los Angeles paint presence:
Brink's return will help on the boards and in the pick-and-roll, but there's still much to like about this current Sparks squad. All-Rookie teammate Rickea Jackson is poised to take a leap in her age-24 season. The supporting veterans are proven winners — Dearica Hamby and Kelsey Plum have a combined three rings and six All-Star nods. Summertime on Figueroa Street is forever undefeated. This 2025 season should be well worth the watch.
If finding and actually accessing these games sounds far less fun than a Plum-to-Jackson pop-out 3, that's because it is. The WNBA broadcast rotation has changed again this season, and the streaming labyrinth will continue expanding as the league adopts new media deals. It's an ultra-exciting time for fans, but it does mean more subscriptions and information to keep track of. Here's our best effort to make sense of it all, compiled specifically for Angelenos and expat LA supporters. Ensure you're following the Sparks and the WNBA at The Athletic. Senior writer Chantel Jennings is a one-of-one, while Sabreena Merchant and Ben Pickman each cover the W with creativity, curiosity and unwavering dedication.
Fubo is a cable-cutting streaming platform that offers local and national channels and add-on sports packages. Any regional game on Spectrum SportsNet can be streamed with Fubo, as can the national ones on ESPN, ABC, CBS, ION and NBA TV.
What you need to watch these games: a Fubo subscription. The 'pro' plan starts at $84.99 per month, with an additional charge for 4K Ultra HD.
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Every team has a regional sports network, or RSN, that carries local matchups. The Sparks are on Spectrum SportsNet LA, the same RSN as the NBA's Lakers and MLB's Dodgers. Mary Murphy (analyst) and Rahshaun Haylock (play-by-play) are the Sparks' usual 1-2 punch. Nikki Kay, a UCLA grad, reports from the sidelines.
Rather frustratingly, Spectrum SportsNet is not carried by all providers in the Southern California region. If switching your cable situation isn't worth the inevitable headache, you can still get regional Sparks games with SportsNet+, a standalone in-market subscription at $19.99 per month.
What you need to watch these games: Fubo, DirecTV Stream (starting $80-90 monthly), Spectrum SportsNet+ ($19.99/month).
What you need to watch these games: A cable or satellite package that has Spectrum SportsNet LA, like:
Of course, not all Sparks fans are confined to Southern California. We've got ride-or-dies far from home, plus Brink and Jackson loyalists near Stanford and Tennessee, respectively. Plum is one of the league's best-known names, and the LA media market seems to make new stars in its sleep.
WNBA League Pass is the answer for out-of-towners of all stripes. The subscription covers every regional broadcast for the regular season. Blackout restrictions are (sadly) in effect, so League Pass users in the designated LA market can't stream the Sparks live on the app. Nationally-televised games are also blacked out on the app, a consideration specifically for fans of teams with heavy national TV schedules.
What you need to watch these games: WNBA League Pass ($12.99/month or $34.99 for the 2025 season).
Ryan Ruocco is the primary play-by-play anchor for 'WNBA on ESPN' programming. His call is punchy and controlled, and his love for the game bleeds through the screen. Ruocco has sharpened his product with the MLB's New York Yankees and the NBA's Brooklyn Nets, and he's narrated some of the modern classics in women's March Madness. His signature refrain, 'You bet!' gets Caitlin Clark fired up.
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UConn legend Rebecca Lobo does color commentary. She played center for the Huskies during their first perfect season and 1995 national title crowning. The Hall-of-Famer suited up for the inaugural New York Liberty campaign in 1997 and played for the Connecticut Sun, plus the now-defunct Houston Comets and Springfield Spirit. Holly Rowe is the lead sideline reporter; she talks to players and coaches after the final buzzer.
The network's second team features Pam Ward, LaChina Robinson and Angel Gray. Some games will be broadcast on ESPN3, a live streaming platform within ESPN's digital products (the app, the website, etc.).
What you need to watch these games: a TV plan with ESPN or an ESPN+ standalone subscription, which includes ABC games (starting at $11.99 per month or $119.99 annually).
Sparks games on ESPN (and ESPN+):
There will be a record 13 regular-season WNBA games on ABC, plus the 2025 All-Star Game. Conference Finals and Finals play will be split between ABC and ESPN, which share the same ownership (Disney). The aforementioned ESPN talents are on the mic here, too.
The ABC/ESPN pregame programming is called 'WNBA Countdown,' and it's a thoroughly radiant affair. Women's hoops expert Elle Duncan is the host. Alongside her is two-time former Spark Chiney Ogwumike. It'll be especially fun when ABC or ESPN gets a Seattle game this summer — Chiney's sister now plays for the Storm. Where was she before? Oh, right … Nneka Ogwumike is an LA living legend after her 2016 MVP and Finals-winning buzzer-beater.
Rounding out the 'big three' is Andraya Carter. She shined during the 2024 NCAA championship broadcast (which drew more viewers than the men's game) and was one of the last players to sign with Tennessee coach Pat Summitt. Other recurring personalities are Malika Andrews (host of 'NBA Today'), Monica McNutt (studio for the NBA's New York Knicks) and Carolyn Peck (Hall-of-Fame coach with a national title at Purdue).
What you need to watch these games: a broadcast antenna (free).
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No Sparks games are currently scheduled for ABC.
For the second straight year, CBS' main network will show eight regular-season WNBA matchups. This channel's 2024 rookie duel between Caitlin Clark's Fever and Angel Reese's Sky was the league's most-watched game in 23 years. CBS Sports will have an additional dozen broadcasts. Commentators include Lisa Byington (a voice of the Sky and the Milwaukee Bucks) and Jordan Kent (a three-sport collegiate athlete who played in the NFL and used to do play-by-play for the Portland Trail Blazers).
What you need to watch these games: a TV plan with CBS or a Paramount+ standalone subscription (starting at $7.99/month).
Sparks games on CBS:
The Scripps network will have Friday night doubleheaders to jump-start each summer weekend. The first one (May 16) is an absolute banger, with Paige Bueckers' official debut followed by our purple-and-gold protagonists in the first-ever Golden State Valkyries game. ION also has a WNBA studio show set in Atlanta. Cable vet Larry Smith is the host, and college basketball insiders Autumn Johnson and Meghan McKeown are in tow for breakdowns.
What you need to watch these games: a broadcast antenna (free).
Sparks games on ION:
Amazon's streaming service will host several WNBA broadcasts this year as it expands into the sports multiverse. Prime Video will also have the final game of the Commissioner's Cup, an in-season tournament that runs throughout the first half of the regular season.
What you need to watch these games: an Amazon Prime subscription (which starts at $14.99 per month or $139 annually).
Sparks games on Prime Video:
In a fitting cross-promotion, the NBA's in-house channel will simulcast WNBA showcases throughout 2025.
What you need to watch these games: a TV plan with NBA TV or WNBA League Pass.
Sparks games on NBA TV:
Streaming and betting/odds links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Photo by Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)