Two weeks ago, The New York Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in Game 5 of the WNBA finals to clinch its first franchise championship, and the game was a disaster.
Officials gave the Liberty 25 free throws and the Lynx eight, after the Liberty averaged 17.3 free throws attempted per game in the regular season and the Lynx averaged 15.5.
In the last five seconds of regulation, Liberty forward Breanna Stewart received two free throws to tie the game after supposed contact on her shot. The replay showed no such contact and also a travel that went unpunished, yet officials upheld the call.
Several basketball stars took to the internet to attack the officiating. LeBron James, Damian Lillard, Isaiah Thomas, and Candace Parker all condemned the referees, and several highlighted that final play as particularly egregious.
Beyond the poor officiating, both teams struggled offensively. The Liberty shot 30.6% and only 8.7% from three, while the Lynx shot 37.1% and 15.8% from three. Only two players, Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride, scored 20 points or more, and both play for the Lynx.
Despite all the controversy and disappointing play, about 3.3 million people tuned in to ESPN to watch the game. That is the best viewership in 25 years for the WNBA, even though the WNBA had to compete with Sunday Night Football and baseball’s National League Championship series.
More importantly, the viewership outperformed all Caitlin Clark games this season. Clark averaged more than a million viewers per game and shattered attendance records for her team, the Indiana Fever, but it’s clear that a sizable chunk of fans introduced to the WNBA through Clark have stuck around for games that don’t feature her.
If the WNBA can continue to capitalize on the spike in viewership by improving the officiating and leaning into its starpower, it may someday turn a profit. The league signed a new media rights deal in 2024 that guarantees $200 million annually for 11 years, a 400% increase over the annual value of the last deal. The deal also includes the possibility to revisit in 2028.
This season, the WNBA lost $40 million. But if a finals Game 5 with questionable officiating, poor shooting, no Caitlin Clark, and serious competition from other major sports can attract 3.3 million fans, the league may become profitable in the near future.