The 2022 WNBA season finished as the league’s most-watched regular season on ESPN in 16 years, and its most-watched season overall in 14 years.

The WNBA averaged 372,000 viewers across 25 WNBA games on ESPN networks, a 19 percent increase over last season and the highest average viewership since 2008. Including CBS games, the league averaged 379,000 viewers, up 16 percent from 2021.

Sunday’s matchup between the Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces on ABC averaged 852,000 viewers and peaked at 1.1 million viewers, which made it the most-viewed WNBA game across all networks since 2008.

Ahead of the Storm-Aces game, the Minnesota Lynx and Connecticut Sun averaged 682,000 viewers (822,000 peak) on ABC, which made it the fifth most-viewed game since 2012.

#WNBA on ESPN presented by Google scores its most-viewed regular season since '08

• Up 19% through 25 games vs '21 regular season

Sunday's @seattlestorm vs @LVAces:
• 852K average viewers
• Most-viewed @WNBA game across all networks since '08

More: https://t.co/IJNkmwofXJ pic.twitter.com/f5Or0IrVXM

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) August 16, 2022

The WNBA All-Star game brought in an average of 734,000 viewers — a 54 percent increase over 2021 and the most in six years. The WNBA draft also saw increased ratings, up 20 percent over 2021 with 403,000 viewers on ESPN.

The numbers not only point to an increase in interest in the league but also show that the league’s media rights may be undervalued.

The WNBA season average of 372,000 viewers on ESPN outpaces the 2021 ratings of the MLS, which averaged 276,000 viewers across 31 games on ESPN networks.

As part of the WNBA’s current deal with ESPN, the league received $27 million in 2021, and that number will grow to $33 million by the final year of the deal in 2025. Just this year, MLS signed a deal with Apple worth $250 million per season.

WNBA league averages also aren’t too far off of the NHL’s averages in the first year of that league’s deal with ESPN and Turner Sports. For the 2021-22 season, the NHL averaged 460,000 viewers per game – the league’s highest since 2016-17. That deal is worth about $400 million per year from Disney and about $225 million per year from Turner.

Aside from viewership, other league engagement metrics also increased. WNBA League Pass, which is the league’s out-of-market game package, experienced a 10 percent growth in subscribers, while web traffic to the WNBA’s website nearly doubled, with visits totaling 9.2 million — a 79 percent jump. Unique visitors were up 99 percent to 5.4 million while page views were up 83 percent to 23.8 million.

On social media, the league set records for engagement with 186 million views across all videos posted throughout the season, a 36 percent increase over 2021.

The WNBA playoffs begin at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday with a matchup between the Chicago Sky and New York Liberty.

Ticket prices are skyrocketing across the WNBA, with commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressing the surge after several New York Liberty fans wore T-shirts in protest of the increase.

Donning orange shirts emblazoned with the phrase "We've been priced out," New York fans came together to express their frustrations at a recent game.

The WNBA fans' custom shirts referred to season ticket price jumps of more than 250%, saying the Liberty is asking upwards of $30,000 for 2026 renewals.

Some New York season ticket holders noted that their 2026 renewal more than triples the cost they paid for the team's 2024 championship-winning campaign.

The exponential increase isn't just occurring in the New York market, however — it points to an overall rise in ticket prices across the WNBA.

The WNBA's recent ticket surge has seen seats across the league jumping by an average cost increase of 43% in the last year alone.

"In order to fund all these investments that owners are making, and obviously paying the players more which we will do in this next CBA cycle…that's the reality," Engelbert said on Thursday's episode of In Case You Missed It with Khristina Williams. "That's our responsibility as a league and team owners."

Calling the price hikes a result of "simple economics" and "high demand," Engelbert acknowledged the effect on fans, though did not address potential solutions.

"I realize there's some concern out there, certainly that we don't price out our kind of core fan base," she noted.

Chelsea FC is playing it close to the chest, with big-name new signing Alyssa Thompson and previously injured superstar Sam Kerr waiting in the wings as manager Sonia Bompastor teases a 2025/26 WSL season debut for the pair.

Kerr joined the 18-player game-day roster for Chelsea FC's opening-day victory over Manchester City last Friday, but saw her season debut delayed as the Australian remained an unused sub while Thompson greeted fans from the stands.

This Sunday's matchup against Aston Villa provides another chance for the standouts to take the pitch, as the six-time reigning WSL champs hunt another result.

"With Alyssa, we are looking for her to be able to play. We don't have the confirmation yet, but we are hoping for her to be able to play in this game," Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor said earlier today. "I think she has already shown some good things this week in training, and we can see what she can bring to the team."

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Bompastor went on to call last week's decision to keep Kerr on the bench "my choice," saying "She's doing everything she can to be available for the squad and available to start…. The next step for her is to be involved in a short game in the league, and maybe we'll see that on Sunday."

USWNT fans will not get a glimpse of defender Naomi Girma, however, as the January 2025 Chelsea addition sat out last Friday's clash with a calf injury and remains unavailable.

How to watch Aston Villa vs. Chelsea FC this weekend

With the possibility of Thompson and Kerr taking the WSL pitch, Chelsea will visit Aston Villa at 7 AM ET on Sunday, with live coverage of the match streaming on ESPN+.

Splashy new Gotham FC addition Jaedyn Shaw is returning West, as the No. 6 NY/NJ club preps for a Friday night clash against the No. 3 San Diego Wave — Shaw's original NWSL team — days after signing the USWNT prospect from the No. 11 North Carolina Courage.

"I'm so excited to be a part of this incredible club and community," the 20-year-old said after her NWSL-record $1.25 million transfer to Gotham. "I'm looking forward to playing alongside world class players and giving my all to help the team win another championship."

After finding immediate success with the Wave in 2023, Shaw requested a trade to the Courage in January 2025, initiating what turned out to be a short stint in Cary, NC.

"I've grown so much just over the past few months, being at the Courage," Shaw told ESPN on Thursday. "I feel like I've matured a lot. I've had to experience things that I haven't necessarily experienced in my career and having to deal with those things."

Gotham and Shaw are currently "working toward an updated and extended contract," per a team release on Thursday, with the young attacker looking to boost Gotham's offense while adding to her 16-goal and five-assist NWSL career tally.

How to watch the San Diego Wave vs. Gotham on Friday

Shaw could take the pitch for No. 6 Gotham in her new club's Friday night visit to the No. 3 San Diego Wave.

The match kicks off at 10 PM ET, with live coverage airing on Prime.

The No. 1 Kansas City Current are closing in on the 2025 NWSL Shield, gearing up for a Saturday night showdown against the No. 2 Washington Spirit that could inject insurmountable distance between the Current and the rest of the league.

With a 14-point lead at the top of the NWSL standings, Kansas City has already clinched a postseason berth, and the Current only need only a few more results to secure a franchise-first league trophy.

Even more, KC enters Saturday's match on an 11-game unbeaten streak, with the Current hosting the Spirit at their home CPKC Stadium — a pitch where Kansas City has yet to drop a match this year.

Despite that dominance, it may not be smooth sailing for the Current, as Washington's future is beginning to take shape behind recently returned star Trinity Rodman, whose brace lifted the Spirit over the No. 7 Seattle Reign last Sunday.

"She's not back, because she's a different player," Washington head coach Adrián González told reporters about Rodman's level of play. "After her injury, she's more prepared mentally. She's having enough time to get the minutes, the training, and the exposures that she needs with no pressure."

How to watch the Kansas City Current vs. Washington Spirit

The No. 1 Kansas City Current will host the No. 2 Washington Spirit on Saturday, with the top-tier match kicking off live at 7:30 PM ET on ION.