The WNBA closed out its 2026 regular season with record television viewership and attendance, even as the league weathered a string of controversies involving player conduct, officiating and its handling of gender-related questions.
According to figures cited by Outkick, the league averaged 1.37 million viewers across ESPN’s networks this regular season, a 17% increase over last year. Both NBC and CBS also averaged at least one million viewers for their WNBA broadcast packages in 2026.
Attendance also climbed. The league drew a record 3.79 million fans across 330 games, up 20.5% from the previous season. Two expansion teams contributed to that total, but even accounting for them, average attendance of 11,474 fans per game marked a 5% increase over last season.
Much of the ratings boost has been tied to Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, who played a healthy season after missing significant time last year. But the numbers extend beyond her games: contests not involving the Fever averaged 984,000 viewers this season, a 24% increase from last year.
A season marked by controversy
The ratings surge came alongside a series of on- and off-court disputes. Clark was involved in an on-court incident with Alyssa Thomas that led to Thomas’s suspension after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver intervened. Clark was also voted the 11th-best guard in the league by her peers in a players’ poll, despite her prominence in television coverage.
The league has also faced scrutiny over how it addresses questions about gender in sports, and over decisions by some teams to restrict access for certain media outlets, including Outkick, which the site says have been excluded over anticipated unfavorable coverage.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, when previously asked about her future with the league, responded,
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