The 2025 WNBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis has come to an in depth. With common viewership within the tens of millions, the occasion has skilled exponential development over the previous 5 years.
On Tuesday, the WNBA introduced the 2025 All-Star Weekend by the numbers, which aired on ABC. Happening in Indianapolis, it was unlucky information Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark opted to stay sidelined from 3-Level and All-Star actions attributable to an ongoing groin challenge. Even so, Clark was very a lot current at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for each festivities held on Friday and Saturday evening. In reality, she was entrance and middle, clipboard in hand, as Sandy Brondello’s affiliate coach on the sideline.
That includes ‘Crew Phee’ vs ‘Crew Clark’, the All-Star Sport drew in a sellout crowd of 16,988. In accordance with ESPN, the sport averaged 2.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched program of the evening throughout all of tv. Whereas narratives proceed to fly, two issues may be true in regards to the development of the WNBA and why the numbers matter.
Don’t Be Misled by the 35 % Drop
First, rankings dipped simply over 35 % from the 2024 All-Star Sport held in Phoenix, which delivered 3.4 million viewers. It’s clear Clark is among the league’s hottest gamers, and she or he occurred to overlook her second profession All-Star Sport in entrance of the Fever trustworthy. In reality, it’s the primary time Indianapolis has ever hosted All-Star Weekend because the franchise was based for the 2000 season. The clear needle-mover in girls’s basketball, her absence was very a lot felt within the viewership metrics.
Second, let’s take a second to acknowledge and respect the expansion of girls’s basketball. We’re speaking in regards to the second-most watched WNBA All-Star Sport in historical past—one which despatched a transparent message to the league as gamers donned “Play Us What You Owe Us” warm-up tees. Throughout a essential time period with a transformative new CBA nonetheless in negotiation, the gamers, above all, placed on probably the most entertaining outings we’ve ever witnessed.
Key Takeaway: The 2025 WNBA All-Star Weekend Was Historic
Napheesa Collier and Caitlin Clark had been named crew captains after amassing a mixed, historic 2,469,546 fan votes. Sure, we’re speaking about simply north of two million votes between the 2. Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins recorded the primary triple-double in WNBA All-Star historical past with 11 factors, 11 rebounds, and 15 assists. Shattering Arike Ogunbowale’s earlier scoring document, Lynx star Napheesa Collier was topped All-Star MVP after delivering a historic 36 factors and 9 rebounds. It was a weekend perpetually etched within the historical past books.
NAPHEESA COLLIIIIER 🔥🔥
36 PTS. 9 REB. NEW SCORING RECORD.
And your #2025WNBAAllStar MVP 👑 pic.twitter.com/QpmalYeTfQ
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 20, 2025
Though it doesn’t rely towards the official rankings, Stud Budz, that includes Natisha Heideman and Courtney Williams, delivered followers a 72-hour inside glimpse of your complete weekend by Twitch. With viewership topping 20,000 on the platform, the long-lasting duo acquired a heat welcome from the town of Indianapolis. The constant but appreciable viewers signifies the growing reputation and curiosity in girls’s basketball.
Positive, some may say the rankings are down, however let’s take a look at the metrics and demographics. In accordance with Entrance Workplace Sports activities, the WNBA continues to lure an growing quantity of male viewers. Over the weekend, a number of males had been proudly carrying jerseys, and FOS reviews that “males account for over half of a rising WNBA viewership, being three proportion factors extra doubtless than girls to look at, with Gen Z having the strongest curiosity.”
Let’s pump the brakes on the panic button relating to the 35 % drop in rankings.
The Numbers Maintain Climbing Steadily
As somebody who’s been round because the inaugural season in 1997, the WNBA didn’t maintain its first All-Star Sport till 1997, which drew 791,000 viewers. In accordance with SportsMediaWatch, no All-Star Sport eclipsed 2 million viewers till 2024 and 2025. In reality, the 2022 All-Star garnered 734,000 viewers, whereas 2023 captured 850,000.
We all know one factor. Whereas WNBA All-Star viewership has enormously fluctuated through the years, the league has steadily been on the rise since 2022. There’s no query the Caitlin Clark Impact may be very actual— the 2025 All-Star numbers nonetheless present distinctive development. The league has amassed a complete of 5.6 million whole viewers mixed from 2024 and 2024, which is almost a 245 % improve from the cumulative All-Star viewership numbers from 2022 and 2023.
Extra importantly, the 2025 WNBA All-Star recreation displays vital development, because the viewership has elevated 158 % since 2022, and 333 % since 2019. Moreover, in response to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, the league has seen huge features throughout a number of areas. Midway by the 2025 season, nationwide viewership has elevated by 23 %. Attendance is at its highest in many years (up 26 %), and merchandise gross sales have climbed 40 %.
But, the fixation stays on the 35 % lower.
Sabrina Ionescu Makes Historical past Once more within the 3-Level Contest
Sabrina Ionescu joins Allie Quigley as the one participant in WNBA historical past to win a number of 3-Level Contest titles!👑
A Liberty sweep, Natasha Cloud wins the Abilities Problem 😤
pic.twitter.com/KMrybfWa8A
— Ballislife Womens Basketball (@ballislifewbb_) July 19, 2025
Total, the numbers reveal the larger image. The WNBA is experiencing unprecedented development, and curiosity in girls’s basketball continues to rise.
Friday’s 3-Level Contest and Abilities Problem, for instance, delivered a mean of 1.3 million viewers, in response to the community. Even with out Clark within the competitors, viewership spiked 89 % from 2024, making it the most-watched WNBA Abilities and 3-Level Contest ever.
The three-Level Showdown headlined Sabrina Ionescu, who made WNBA historical past as the primary participant since Allie Quigley to seize a number of WNBA 3-Level titles. That includes elite shooters like Ionescu, Kelsey Plum, Allisha Grey, Sonia Citron, and Lexie Hull, it was an exhilarating competitors that nearly almost matched Ionescu’s record-setting efficiency in 2023. With an additional $55,000 and trophy in hand, New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud was named winner of the Abilities Problem.
With the league experiencing historic turnouts, the gamers proceed to ship record-breaking performances. In comparison with final yr, issues could appear bleak. Nonetheless, that’s the furthest from the reality. Because the league’s trajectory continues upward, the WNBA is predicted to capitalize on NCAA reputation and develop to 18 groups by 2030.
The WNBA’s rise is simply getting began.
Observe Sara Jane Gamelli on X @SaraJGamelli.
