ESPN has announced some exciting news before the WNBA Finals! The 2024 season has been record-breaking, with rookies like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese taking the league by storm ¹. Clark, the Indiana Fever guard, won the Rookie of the Year award and set multiple records, including the first triple-double and most points scored by a rookie ¹. Meanwhile, seventh-year veteran and Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson continued her dominance, scoring 1,021 points and grabbing 451 rebounds in a single season, the most ever ¹. She also won her third WNBA MVP award ¹.
Here are some key highlights from ESPN’s announcement:
– *Viewership Boom*: A 142% increase in WNBA playoff viewership compared to 2023, averaging 970,000 viewers across 17 games ¹.
– *Semifinals Success*: A 99% jump in viewership from last year, with an average of 850,000 viewers ¹.
– *New Format*: Starting in 2025, the WNBA Finals will expand to a seven-game series, and the first round will move to a 1-1-1 format ².
– *Regular Season Changes*: The regular season will add four more games, with each team now playing 44 regular season games ².
These changes are expected to enhance the product for viewers and give teams more money to work with and pay talents ². The WNBA is revolutionizing, and it’s exciting to see the growth and success of the league!
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