The WNBA semifinals kicked off with impressive television ratings, continuing the league’s surge in viewership. Sunday’s doubleheader attracted an average of 1.15 million viewers, marking a 10% increase compared to the previous year’s numbers.
The opening game featured the No. 4 Atlanta Dream facing off against the No. 8 New York Liberty, drawing 1.17 million viewers on ABC. Shortly after, the matchup between the No. 3 Las Vegas Aces and the No. 2 Golden State Warriors secured 1.12 million viewers on NBC, which aired its first WNBA playoff game since 2002.
Despite competing with NFL Sunday broadcasts, both contests held strong, ranking as the second- and third-highest viewed semifinal openers in WNBA history.
Rising Popularity Evident Throughout Playoffs
This surge in audience follows a record-breaking first round of playoffs, which averaged 1.3 million viewers across ten games—an increase of 37% over the 2025 postseason. One standout moment occurred last week when 2.3 million viewers tuned in to witness the Las Vegas Aces eliminate the No. 6 Indiana Fever.