ESPN announced that the channel would expand 13 more WNBA games to ESPN/ABC earlier this morning. The total of WNBA games that ESPN will nationally televise is 37 games in this bubble season.
The classic rivalry of Sparks vs. Mercury season opener on ABC was the most viewed game, moderating at about 540,000 viewers, since 2012. The percentage also increased by 20 percent from last season’s opener on ABC, which is the matchup of Mercury vs. Storm.
ESPN expands largest @WNBA schedule ever to include additional regular season games
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) July 27, 2020
🏀 13 more games brings total to 37 for regular season
More: https://t.co/zms2Fnmv6y pic.twitter.com/BbooSM8gVF
The news of ESPN to expand the WNBA games is a huge step forward for the league. As the WNBA focuses on social justice and the black lives matter movement this season, wearing the name of Breonna Taylor on the back of their jerseys. They also inserted the ‘Black Lives Matter’ sign on the court a few hours before the season began.
This weekend, and this season, is about more than just basketball.#SayHerName | #BLM pic.twitter.com/WCMan7EaKz
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 27, 2020
ESPN will continue to call games remotely from ESPN studios, led by play-by-play analysts Ryan Ruocco, Pam Ward, and analysts Rebecca Lobo and LaChina Robinson. The channel is also home to this year’s playoffs, with the same traditional seeding.
NBA TV To Begin Televising WNBA Games
I heard the fam is holding it down with @WNBA programming tomorrow 😏 pic.twitter.com/Q3E1l3mxgx
— Arielle (Ari) Chambers (@ariivory) July 27, 2020
The NBA TV announced that the WNBA games would be aired live from Bradenton, Florida, beginning with the 2019 Finals rematch of Mystics vs. Sun. Then followed by the Sparks vs. Sky, who won the game with a revenge shot by Allie Quigley, the two-time 3-point shooting champion, over the Aces. The other game that would be aired tomorrow on CBS Sports Network is Seattle vs. Minnesota, the rematch of the first-round single-elimination match from last postseason. Both teams won their first games of the season over the New York Liberty and Connecticut Sun, respectively.
Tune into the games and cheer on your favorite team! Like what Arielle Chambers, who runs the account @HighlightHer on Instagram, said:
“The WNBA is SO important!”
-Ari Chambers (Ariivory on Twitter).
Have a great week, WNBA Fans!
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @ayaabdeen__ for more content. Follow my Diana Taurasi fan page on Instagram @dtaurasi3_fp. And check out more WNBA articles by the Beyond Women’s Sports team.
