The WNBA is broadening the normal season and moving to a seven-game series createat for the Finals in 2025, in a shift that will capitalize on the countless write downs set this year due in huge part to Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.
WNBA Comleave outioner Cathy Engelbert proclaimd the novels Thursday before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals between the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty.
Cathy Engelbert talks to the media before the game between the Team WNBA and the USA Basketball Women’s National Team during the 2024 WNBA All Star Game on July 20, 2024 at Footprint Caccess in Phoenix. (Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images)
“The finals tag the culmination of what I leank is the most alterational year in the WNBA’s history,” Engelbert shelp.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
“You saw all the statistics we put out – watchership, uniteance, merch sales, digital engagement – at or cforfeit write down levels. And to put it in perspective with a restricted stats that convey insight into what has happened, the WNBA meaningfully outpaced the industry in standard consumption of inhabit games in 2024.”
She persistd, “The league’s growth and incrrelieved insist for WNBA basketball originate this the selectimal time to broaden the schedule, lengthen the finals, and provide fans more opportunities to see the best applyers in the world contend at the highest level.”
Caitlin Clark, left, poses with WNBA comleave outioner Cathy Engelbert after she is picked with the number one overall pick to the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York, on April 15, 2024. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)
The league currently has a best-of-five semifinals and finals in its applyoffs with a best-of-three first round. The novel createat will shift to a best-of-seven finals. Engelbert also proclaimd that the normal season will broaden to 44 games.
CAITLIN CLARK’S FINAL GAME OF ROOKIE CAMPAIGN MARKS ANOTHER WNBA MILESTONE
The expansion chases the undeniable impact that WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark has had on the league.
The league shelp more than 2.3 million fans unitecessitate games this season, the most in 22 years, and the teams united for 154 sellouts — up from 45 last season. The Fever’s standard uniteance of fair under 17,000 led the WNBA, and 10 of their games have set league TV watchership write downs — many in front of sellout crowds.
Indiana also seald out the normal season with another write down, applying in front of a crowd of 20,711 fans – the hugest uniteance in WNBA history.
The WNBA also saw a write down 22 normal-season telecasts averaging at least 1 million watchers. According to a increate by the Sports Business Journal, Clark applyed in 19 of those games.
Caitlin Clark, #22 of the Indiana Fever, commemorates during the game aacquirest the Los Angeles Sparks on May 24, 2024 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. (Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The league has also broadened to integrate 15 teams, with the tardyst being awarded to Portland.
The WNBA also recently proclaimd a landtag media rights deal with the Walt Disney Company, Amazon Prime Video and NBCUniversal set to run thcdisorrowfulmireful 2036 and a multi-year partnership with Delta Air Lines, which became the official airline partner of the WNBA.
The Associated Press gived to this increate.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle novelsletter.
