WNBA Concludes Historic 2024 Season With Highest Finals Ratings in Over Two Decades

The league can take a bow after a year to remember.

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Breanna Stewart celebrate after the Liberty's WNBA title. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

There can be no doubt: in North American sports, 2024 was the year of the WNBA.

After 27 years finding its footing, the league exploded into mainstream success in '24—thanks to the combination of a transcendent rookie class and an already star-studded group of players and teams.

When the New York Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx 67–62 in overtime Sunday to win the WNBA title, it was truly a celebration of what the league had become—and according to ESPN, it drew the ratings figure to prove it.

More: FanSided's WNBA35 ranking the league's top players

Game 5 of the WNBA Finals was the most-viewed Finals game in 25 years on any network, the network said in a Tuesday afternoon release.

The game drew a peak audience of 3.3 million viewers—a particularly impressive figure given that it was scheduled against both Game 6 of the NLCS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets and Sunday Night Football between the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers.

As the league turns the page to 2025, it's clear the sky is the limit moving forward.

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