The 2025 WNBA season would go down in history as one marked by on-court milestones and significant shifts in the business landscape.

Some legends bid their goodbyes to the court, while some young ballers have already started writing their legacy. Here's a collection of ten standout moments from the 2025 WNBA season:

1. Paige Bueckers dropping 44 points on LA

On August 20, 2025, Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers etched herself into the history books by scoring 44 points in a narrow 81-80 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. She tied Cynthia Cooper’s single-game rookie scoring record, set in 1997. That was four years before Bueckers was born.

She also became the first-ever player to record more than 40 points while shooting 80% from the field, finishing the night 17-of-21 from the floor. No wonder she went to win the 2025 Rookie of the Year award.

2. Another Record for A'ja Wilson

The 2025 season also saw how A'ja Wilson can take the side past the finish line almost single-handedly. The Las Vegas Aces star became the first WNBA player to register 30+ points and 20 rebounds in a single game during her team's match against the Connecticut Sun on August 10.

To be specific, Wilson scored 32 points, shooting 13-of-25, along with 20 rebounds and five assists in the Aces’ 94-86 victory over the Sun.

3. Caitlin Clark's Season-ending Injury

Clark had a great season last year, winning the 2024 Rookie of the Year, but injuries ruined her sophomore year in the WNBA. In August 2025, she suffered an ankle sprain, and by September, her season ended after just 13 games due to a significant groin injury she sustained on July 15.

In December, the Indiana Fever superstar announced she was back to “100% healthy” during a press conference at Team USA training camp in Durham, North Carolina.

4. Diana Taurasi Announcing Retirement from Pro Basketball

On February 25, 2025, three-time WNBA Champion Diana Taurasi bid farewell to the court after a career spanning 2 decades.

She won the three WNBA titles in 2007, 2009, and 2014, all while playing for the Phoenix Mercury. Taurasi also has several other feathers in her cap, including six Olympic gold medals and 11 All-Star selections.

She retired as the league’s all-time leading scorer with 10,646 points in her entire career. Hard to imagine, right?

5. WNBA Announcing Expansion to Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia

On June 30, the WNBA awarded expansion franchises to Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia, advancing its plan to reach 18 teams by 2030. Cleveland is scheduled to begin play in 2028, followed by Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030.

6. Napheesa Collier's Criticism of the WNBA Leadership

On October 1, WNBPA vice president Napheesa Collier sharply criticized WNBA leadership, citing ongoing systemic problems such as inconsistent officiating, unaddressed pay concerns, and excessive player workloads.

She said, "The real threat to our league isn’t money, it isn’t ratings, or even missed calls, or even physical play. It’s the lack of accountability from the league office. Since I’ve been in the league, you’ve heard the constant concerns about officiating, and it has now reached levels of inconsistency that plague our sport and undermine the integrity in which it operates."

The Minnesota Lynx forward added, "Whether the league cares about the health of the players is one thing, but to also not care about the product we put on the floor is truly self-sabotage. Year after year, the only thing that remains consistent is the lack of accountability from our leaders."

The incident sent shockwaves through the WNBA community, as there are few instances of an active WNBA player using such harsh words toward authorities.

7. The WNBA Stars Taking a Stand

The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game became the platform for labor advocacy. During its warmups on July 19, players donned black “Pay Us What You Owe Us” T-shirts in a demonstration organized by the WNBPA, signaling escalating friction with the league ahead of impending CBA negotiations.

8. Golden State Valkyries Breaking the WNBA Attendance Records

The Golden State Valkyries started their very first season in the WNBA with massive support from the fans. They sold out 22 home games at the Chase Center while averaging 18,064 per game for a total of 397,408.

With these figures, they broke the previous record for best team attendance, held by the Indiana Fever at 340,715 total fans, averaging 17,036 attendees per game.

9. WNBA Breaking Previous Seasons' Record

The WNBA 2025 regular season became the most-watched in WNBA history, with ESPN networks averaging 1.3 million viewers per game, a 5% year-over-year increase in regular-season viewership. The Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever game on May 17 set a regular-season record with 2.7 million viewers.

1.9 million viewers were drawn to Game 1 of the 2025 WNBA Finals, making it the most-watched Finals opener in 28 years. Ancillary programming also surged, as ESPN’s WNBA Countdown averaged 437,000 viewers through the playoffs, up 30% year over year, and Hoop Streams and The Wrap-Up recorded a 60% viewership increase across eight postseason episodes.

10. The 2025 WNBA Championship Winners

On Oct. 10, the Las Vegas Aces completed a dominant 4-0 sweep of the Phoenix Mercury to capture a 97-86 closeout victory. This cemented the Aces’ status as a modern WNBA dynasty under head coach Becky Hammon as the team won its third WNBA title in four seasons.

Which other moments would you like to add to this list?

Written by

Reyansh Dubey

Edited by

Souvik Roy