Where to watch WNBA games: Live stream the 2025 season from anywhere
The W is back, and it's shaping up to be one of the most exciting and competitive years in league history. We've compiled everything you need to know about where to watch WNBA games, including cable and live streaming options.
The WNBA has seen a meteoric rise over the past few years, thanks to both the vets who have been carrying the league — like A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, and the recently retired Diana Taurasi — and some promising new players, including Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers.
Fresh off their first-ever Championship, the New York Liberty are looking to go back-to-back. The Minnesota Lynx, who fell to the Liberty in Game 5 of the 2024 Finals, are vying for their own comeback story. Of course, all eyes are also on the Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings. While the two teams have had less-than-stellar track records over the past few years, the Fever has been revitalized by back-to-back No. 1 draft picks Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark (and a few offseason acquisitions), and made it to the playoffs for the first time in several years last season. Dallas nabbed Bueckers, the No. 1 overall 2025 draft pick, and signed some top-rated vets to join Wings star Arike Ogunbowale this year.
Needless to say, it's shaping up to be a can't-miss season. The viewing options are pretty widespread, but we've broken down absolutely everything there is to know about tuning in.
Where to watch WNBA: quick links
US: ESPN, ESPN3, ION, NBA TV, Prime Video, ABC, CBS, CBS Sports
DirecTV (5-day free trial)
Fubo (7-day free trial)
Sling TV (50% off first month)
ESPN Plus (from $12/month)
Paramount Plus (7-day free trial)
Prime Video (30-day free trial)
Access subscriptions anywhere: ExpressVPN (30-day money-back guarantee)
When:
Regular season: May 16—September 11, 2025
Playoffs: September 14—October 17, 2025 (at the latest)
Notable opening weekend games:
Atlanta Dream vs. Washington Mystics on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ION
Minnesota Lynx vs. Dallas Wings on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ION
Los Angeles Sparks vs. Golden State Valkyries on Friday at 10 p.m. ET on ION
Las Vegas Aces vs. New York Liberty on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on ABC
Chicago Sky vs. Indiana Fever on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on ABC
What channels are WNBA games on?
If you thought NBA coverage was too widespread, welcome to the W. WNBA games air across several channels in a variety of network families. If you're hoping to watch every nationally broadcast game this year, you'll need access to ESPN, ESPN3, ION, NBA TV, ABC, CBS, and CBS Sports Network. Even if you have the best cable package in the world, you'll still need to sign up for Prime Video to access the streamer's exclusive Thursday night games.
Where to watch the WNBA in the US
It's safe to say that there's no one streaming service that will have it all, but you can get pretty close with the help of live TV streaming packages such as DirecTV and Fubo, two of the best sports streaming services we've personally tested.
DirecTV, which we dubbed the top cable alternative in our guide to the best live TV streaming services, offers ESPN, ESPN2, ION, NBA TV, ABC, and CBS. You should be able to log onto the ESPN website with your DirecTV credentials to live stream ESPN3 games. While you'll need to look elsewhere for the rare CBS Sports Network game (or upgrade to a higher tier of DirecTV), this (and a Prime Video subscription) will allow you to watch nearly all nationally broadcast games this season. The DirecTV Choice plan costs $90/month and comes with a five-day free trial. Just keep in mind that there are usually some extra required monthly costs for things like regional sports fees. New users can get their first month for up to $30 off.
Fubo is another great live TV streaming package. The month-to-month service offers ESPN, ESPN2, ION, NBA TV, ABC, and CBS in its Fubo Elite plan. This tier costs $95/month, plus some extra monthly regional sports fees. Like DirecTV, users should be able to use their Fubo credentials to log into the ESPN website to stream ESPN3 games. Just keep in mind that Fubo doesn't currently offer the CBS Sports Network. New users can get $20 off their first month of service after a seven-day free trial.
Sling TV will also be able to help you out for many (but not all) games this season. Sling's Orange plan, which costs $46/month, includes ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3. Users should be able to watch WNBA on ABC games simulcast on ESPN3. Sling's Freestream option comes with ION access, and you can get the Sports Extra add-on for an additional $11/month to unlock NBA TV. New users can get $23 off their first month of service. Remember that you'll need to look elsewhere for CBS games, which we'll dig into below.
Paramount Plus, ESPN Plus, and Prime Video will live stream select games throughout the season. Paramount Plus will offer CBS live streaming through its Paramount Plus with Showtime tier, which costs $13/month. This option, which doesn't live stream the few games that will air on CBS Sports Network, comes with a seven-day free trial for new users.
Paramount Plus with Showtime (1 Month)
Paramount Plus offers a huge library of on-demand content from Paramount, CBS, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, and MTV. The Premium Plan also includes Showtime and live CBS streaming. It costs $12.99 a month or $120 a year. More importantly, it removes ads from the on-demand streaming library.
Check price at Paramount Plus
ESPN Plus is also live streaming several ABC games this season, including the Indiana Fever's season opener against the Chicago Sky. Subscriptions cost $12/month, but you can save some money with an annual plan, which goes for $120/year.
As we mentioned above, you'll need Prime Video to watch Thursday night games. You can sign up for Prime Video for just $9/month or get it included with any regular Amazon Prime subscription, which costs $15/month. New Prime subscribers (or those who haven't had an account in the past 12 months) can get a 30-day free trial of the service.
Finally, there's the WNBA League Pass, which costs $13/month. You can get this through the WNBA League Pass website or add it on through your Amazon account if you don't feel like downloading another app. The WNBA League Pass is helpful if you're looking to tune into games that don't have a national broadcast partner (and a few that do), but several of the must-see games this season will most likely be unavailable live on League Pass because they air on a nationally broadcast network.
Most ABC, ESPN, CBS, and Prime Video games aren't available live on League Pass, while ION and NBA TV are typically simulcast. Usually, these missing games will still be available to stream on the WNBA League Pass after they air on TV, but you'll need to look elsewhere (like at one of the above options) if you're hoping to watch live. Similarly, there will be blackouts on live home games for people who are local to a team that has a regional sports network option.
How to watch the WNBA from anywhere
WNBA fans can still use their go-to streaming options while traveling outside the US with the help of a VPN. Short for virtual private networks, VPNs allow people to change their virtual locations. This way, they can access their usual websites and apps from anywhere in the world. They're also strong ways to boost day-to-day cybersecurity. The services we've highlighted today require US payment methods, so this option will work best for Americans who are simply abroad at the moment.
Time and time again, ExpressVPN is the best VPN we've tested. It's versatile, easy to use, and has an impressive number of security perks, which you can explore in our ExpressVPN review. Keep reading to learn how to use a VPN.
How to watch the WNBA with a VPN
Sign up for a VPN if you don't already have one.
Install it on the device you're using to watch.
Turn it on and set it to a US location.
Sign up for one of the above streaming services.
Enjoy the games!
Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Business Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.
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