The WNBA has grown significantly over the past two seasons thanks to superstar players such as Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. Reese was a standout player for the LSU Tigers. During her 2022-2023 season, her average points per game were 23 points, while she averaged 18 points during her 2023-2024 season. Reese’s success carried over to her WNBA career when she became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 500 points and 500 rebounds in her first 38 games of the 2025 season. The other superstar, Caitlin Clark, was one of the greatest players to ever play for the University of Iowa and was honored with her jersey retirement on February 2, 2025. During Clark’s tenure at the University of Iowa, fans were always able to see a show every time she stepped onto the basketball court. The most significant milestone that Clark shattered is that she was the all-time leading scorer between both men’s and women’s college basketball. Clark scored a total of 3,951 while having 1,144 career assists and 990 rebounds. Throughout Clark’s college career, she averaged 28.4 points per game and made 548 three-pointers. This past WNBA season, players were seen wearing shirts during pre-game warm-ups that said, “Pay Us What You Owe Us”. The players started to wear the “Pay Us What You Owe Us” shirts at the 2025 All-Star Game to protest the league’s salary structure. WNBA players are paid significantly less than NBA players. WNBA players feel that they deserve the same pay as NBA players. WNBA players’ salaries range from $60,000 per year to $250,000, while the NBA players’ minimum wage is over $1 million. One of the main reasons why the WNBA players took the initiative to wear the shirts is that the WNBA has experienced significant growth in every aspect, including a $2.2 billion media deal and a $250 million expansion fee.
When Clark and Reese faced off against each other, the game brought in 2.7 million viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA game on ESPN platforms. According to Front Office Sports, it was reported that the 2025 WNBA season averaged 794,000 viewers across national networks. This means that it was a 21% increase since 2024. Clark experienced a season-ending injury, but it did not limit fans from tuning into Caitlin Clark’s team, the Indiana Fever. Front Office Sports says that despite Clark’s injury, the average viewership for the Fever games went up 3% while the rest of the WNBA saw their games go up 37%. Most recently, the 2025 WNBA finals took place. Game one of the finals averaged 1.9 million viewers, which was the most-watched game since the WNBA’s inaugural season opener in 1997.