The 2025 WNBA preseason makes historic waves
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Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photos: Getty Images
For the first time, all WNBA preseason games will be available for broadcast or streaming.
State of play: The preseason tips off Friday with more eyes on the action — in the arena and at home.
By the numbers: Fans from 29 countries purchased tickets on StubHub ahead of the season, up from 12 countries in 2024.
- Ticket sales — which have increased for all 12 returning teams — are up 145% from last season, according to StubHub, and first-time WNBA ticket buyers jumped 28% compared to the same time last year.
What we're hearing: As momentum behind women's sports continues to build, players like Paige Bueckers, A'ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark are "driving record-breaking demand with the highest pre-season sales in StubHub's history for the league," StubHub spokesperson Adam Budelli told Axios.
Zoom in: The Indiana Fever games are the league's hottest ticket, seeing a 497% increase in sales over last season.
- The Dallas Wings' ticket sales are also up by 343% — and in the 24 hours after Bueckers went No. 1, the team's site searches surged 351%.
Zoom out: The Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, New York Liberty and Dallas Wings follow the Fever as the top in-demand teams.
How to watch the WNBA preseason
The first preseason games will be broadcast across ION, NBA TV and ESPN, with the remaining games on WNBA League Pass. Fans can also live stream games on the WNBA App. View full schedule here.
- 14 of the 15 games can be streamed for free with a free WNBA League Pass Preview.
WNBA players/preseason games to watch
In the first preseason game, Bueckers will make her WNBA debut for the Dallas Wings against the Las Vegas Aces, where Jewell Loyd will play her first game with the Aces after being traded in February. Here are a few other standout games this preseason:
- The Brazil National Team will take on the Chicago Sky (May 2) and Indiana (May 4), and the Toyota Antelopes of the Japanese Basketball League will play the Wings (May 10) and the New York Liberty (May 12)
- The Seattle Storm, which picked up No. 2 draft pick Dominique Malonga, will play the Connecticut Sun, which acquired Tina Charles on May 4.
- The league's newest team, the Golden State Valkyries, will host the Los Angeles Sparks, which acquired All-Star Kelsey Plum via trade on May 6.
- Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever will travel to Atlanta to face newly added All-Stars Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones on May 10.
The bottom line: The regular season hasn't even started but fans are already excited about tuning in.
More WNBA coverage from Axios:
