The WNBA is riding a wave of momentum. Attendance and TV ratings were up across the board this season. Yes, Caitlin Clark had a lot to do with it. But the Fever have been eliminated and those fans/viewers haven't gone away, so it's much more than just the Caitlin Clark Effect. And they're wisely riding that wave.
Their timing couldn't have been better, either. Game 1 of the WNBA Finals between the Lynx and Liberty was outstanding! Which only served to prove that there's a reason for this momentum that goes way beyond this season's rookie class. They might've been the reason people started watching, but once they did, they realized that what they had been missing out on was a pretty good product. Which is why they stayed.
That incredible Game 1 provided immediate validation for one of the three major changes that the WNBA will implement next season. The WNBA Championship was a single game in 1997 before expanding to a best-of-3 series the following season. Since 2005, the WNBA Finals have been best-of-5. Now, after 20 years as a best-of-5 series, the WNBA Finals will become a best-of-7 affair in 2025.
If Game 1 was any indication, this year's WNBA Finals will be an amazing series! Now just imagine if it was a best-of-7! The Liberty and Lynx are so evenly matched and the series looks to be so competitive that it would almost certainly go seven. And they would probably be seven extraordinary games.
While the first round of the WNBA Playoffs will remain best-of-3 and the semifinals will remain best-of-5, there was one other significant change to the playoff structure. When they got rid of single-elimination games and went to best-of-3 first round series in 2022, they made it so that the higher seed would host to first two games, with the decisive Game 3 hosted by the lower seed. Next season, it'll move from the 2-1 format to a 1-1-1 format.
It was only used for three years, but that was enough time to see the flaws of the 2-1 format. There were two big ones that especially stood out. The first is that the lower-seeded team wasn't guaranteed to have a home game. They'd only host if the series went to a third game. If the higher seed won the first two games, that was it. The lower seed would be out without having had the opportunity to play at home. Which brings me to the other problem with the 2-1 format.
Frankly, I think the biggest problem with the 2-1 format wasn't the lower seed potentially not getting to play a home game. It was the higher seed having to play a winner-take-all game on the road. What's the point of having the higher seed if the lower-seeded team has home court advantage in the decisive game of the series? It's almost as if they were being penalized for not sweeping.
Next season, the WNBA will welcome its first expansion team since 2008 when the Golden State Valkyries join the league. They'll be followed in 2026 by new franchises in Toronto and Portland. That'll bring the WNBA to 15 teams, so you'd have to figure that a 16th will be coming pretty soon, as well. And, with the addition of four teams, the length of the regular season will increase, too. From 40 games to 44.
I wouldn't be surprised if that number grows again once the WNBA adds a 16th team. The simple math is obvious. Three games against each of the other 15 teams is 45 games, with a fourth game against one opponent to make it 46. Seems pretty easy, doesn't it? (The NHL is talking about going to 84 games for a similar reason. It'll bring back the two division games everybody lost for Seattle.)
During the 2020 COVID season, played in the Bradenton, FL "wubble," teams played a 22-game schedule. Granted, that was a shortened season played under special circumstances, but it's still notable that only five years later, the WNBA season will feature twice as many games. And, when you throw in the playoffs, the WNBA champion will play a minimum of 53 games. That doesn't include the Commissioner's Cup or any playoff losses, either, so it will almost certainly be more. The final number will likely be in the high 50s and potentially hit 60.
Of course, squeezing in 44 games plus playoffs while taking an Olympic or World Cup break every other season will produce a completely different set of challenges. But, the fact that the WNBA will even have that potential problem speaks volumes. It shows how strong the league has become. When they expanded the season to 40 games, it was a big deal. It's only been 40 games for two years and they're already in a strong enough position to add four more games to the schedule.
Let's not forget the biggest thing that made this all possible. After years of flying commercial and all the headaches that go with it, this season marked the first time that all WNBA teams had chartered flights for road games. It's made such a huge difference. They're being treated like the professional athletes they are. And because they're being treated like professional athletes, it's made the travel easier. And because the travel is easier, playing four additional games, two of which will be on the road, isn't as much of a burden as it would've been previously. (It's important to note that Golden State, obviously, is on the West Coast, so that means more coast-to-coast travel, too.)
All of this is a prelude to the WNBA's new TV contract kicking in once the NBA's deal begins. More games means more inventory for rights-holders ESPN, NBC and Amazon (plus any potential fourth TV partner). I'm sure that was a factor, too, but it wasn't the only one. The WNBA wouldn't be increasing the number of games available to TV partners if those TV partners didn't have any incentive to show them. The ratings (for all games, not just those involving Caitlin Clark) indicate that it's a worthwhile investment, though, so there's value to it on both sides.
Does Caitlin Clark deserve some of the credit? Sure. Does she deserve all of it? Absolutely not! The WNBA has long been a hidden gem on the U.S. sports scene. It's just that now people are finally taking notice. And because they're taking notice, the WNBA is able to add teams, add games and make the Finals a best-of-7 affair. All of which is a huge W for the W.
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