The WNBA's opening weekend delivered a thrilling showdown that nearly broke viewership records, proving once again that women's basketball is capturing the nation's attention like never before.

The Dallas Wings edged out the Indiana Fever 107-104 in a high-scoring battle that featured the four most recent No. 1 overall picks. An average of 2.49 million fans tuned in to watch Azzi Fudd (2026 No. 1 pick) and Paige Bueckers (2025 No. 1 pick) make their professional debuts alongside Fever stars Caitlin Clark (2024 No. 1) and Aliyah Boston (2023 No. 1).

While those numbers are impressive, they came up just short of last year's record-setting opener. When Clark's Fever faced Angel Reese's Chicago Sky in a similar time slot during the 2025 opening weekend, that game drew 2.7 million viewers—the most-watched WNBA regular-season game across ESPN networks and the league's highest viewership in 25 years.

The opening weekend wasn't without its lopsided moments, though. The Phoenix Mercury blew out the defending champion Las Vegas Aces 99-66 on Saturday, while the New York Liberty dominated the Connecticut Sun 106-75 in Friday's opener. A media report initially misidentified the Mercury as the "Suns," but the message was clear: blowouts can cool viewership momentum.

All of this comes on the heels of the league's massive $2.2 billion, 11-year media deal signed two years ago—now estimated to be worth over $3.1 million—which includes partnerships with Disney, NBCUniversal, Amazon, Paramount, Scripps, USA Sports, and NBA TV. With that kind of backing, the WNBA is poised for even bigger moments ahead.