The growth of the WNBA into a major television draw has had plenty of consequences on the business side of the sport.
The latest domino fell Monday when the WNBA Players Association announced it would exercise its option to terminate the Collective Bargaining Agreement effective on Oct. 31, 2025.
Both the league and the players’ union had the right to opt-out. The decision comes as no surprise after the playoffs saw a viewership increase of 142 percent even before the WNBA Finals started, according to ESPN.
The WNBA semifinals alone averaged 850,000 viewers, according to ESPN, nearly double from last season.
It adds up to the highest viewership the league has enjoyed since its inaugural season in 1997. Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark has spurred vast interest in the women’s game dating back to her college career at Iowa. One of her recent playoff games generated 2.5 million viewers alone.
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Clark was named Rookie …