The WNBA will increase its Finals subsequent yr to a best-of-seven format, the league introduced on Thursday.
The league at present has a best-of-five semifinals and finals in its playoffs with a best-of-three first spherical.
“This may give our followers a championship sequence format that they’re accustomed to seeing in different sports activities,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert stated earlier than Recreation 1 of the Finals.
Engelbert stated the higher seeded groups will host the primary, second, fifth and seventh video games. The league additionally shall be altering the opening spherical to provide the lower-seeded group no less than one dwelling recreation. The upper-seeded group will host Recreation 1, and three if it’s essential.
At present, the primary spherical has the primary two video games on the better-seeded group. All 4 of the first-round sequence had been sweeps this yr.
The commissioner stated that with the league utilizing constitution flights all season, together with the playoffs, it makes it simpler to journey backwards and forwards between cities.
Engelbert additionally stated the league’s draft lottery shall be held on Nov. 17 and that the growth Golden State Valkyries group can have the No. 5 decide.
Engelbert additionally addressed the rising variety of assaults that gamers have handled on social media, saying that there’s no place for it and that the league will work with the gamers’ union to determine what they will do collectively to assist fight it. Engelbert talked about know-how and assist for psychological well being.
“It simply is one thing the place we’ve to proceed to be a voice for this, a voice in opposition to it, condemning it, and ensuring that we discover each alternative to assist our gamers, who’ve been coping with this for for much longer than this yr,” Engelbert stated.
The league was coming off an unimaginable common season when it comes to attendance and viewership. The league stated 2,353,735 followers attended video games, probably the most in 22 years and the groups mixed for 154 sellouts — up from 45 final season.
The WNBA averaged 9,807 followers per recreation in 2024, a hefty improve from final season’s 6,615 per recreation. The league additionally stated a report 22 regular-season telecasts averaged no less than 1 million viewers.
The affect of rookie Clark was a giant cause for the elevated curiosity within the league. The Fever set a single-season dwelling attendance report of 340,715 followers, breaking the mark of 250,565 set by the New York Liberty in 2001.
“Fruits in most transformational yr in WNBA’s historical past,” Engelbert stated. “Put it in perspective with a couple of stats that carry perception into what occurred. WNBA outpaced the business in dwell video games in 2024. Followers watched 30% extra on common of every WNBA recreation within the common season.”