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What to Know About Women’s Basketball Today
1. The World Cup Drew Record Viewership 📺
The 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup had the five most-watched games in tournament history. Team USA’s final against France averaged 1.2 million viewers, up 158% from the 2022 final and 750% from 2018. Earlier in the tournament, 1.3 million watched the U.S. nearly get upset by Italy, while 1.2 million watched its final group game against Czechia. (Sports Illustrated)
WHY IT MATTERS: The semifinal and final drew slightly smaller audiences than those two group-stage games, but they also faced much more competition. Saturday’s semifinal went up against college football, while Sunday’s championship tipped off during the NFL’s opening weekend and the U.S. Open men’s final. Getting more than a million viewers with all of that happening at the same time says a lot about the growing audience for women’s basketball.
🗳️ Did you watch Team USA during the World Cup?
2. The Search for the WNBA’s Next Commissioner Is Underway 🔎
The search for Cathy Engelbert’s replacement has officially started. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday that the NBA and WNBA are interviewing search firms, and he has already heard from potential candidates and received recommendations for the job. (USA Today)
WHY IT MATTERS: Engelbert will retire December 31 after seven years as the WNBA’s first commissioner. Her replacement will report to Silver, but he acknowledged that the next commissioner may need more room to make important decisions without NBA involvement. Silver also said he wants someone who can help bring players and owners together after a tense stretch of CBA negotiations.
3. Our First Look at Setting the Tempo 📺
We’ve got our first look at Setting the Tempo, ESPN’s four-part series following the Toronto Tempo as Canada’s first WNBA franchise is built from the ground up. The series premieres Sunday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, with all four episodes also available on the ESPN App and Disney+. (ESPN)
WHY IT MATTERS: We don’t often get to see everything that goes into building a WNBA franchise. That makes this an especially interesting look at the Tempo as the WNBA prepared to expand outside the U.S. for the first time. There’s also something meaningful about ESPN giving this story four episodes. Women’s sports have historically received a small share of overall sports coverage, but growing fan interest is creating more demand for stories like this.
I’m Working on October’s Post-Up Club 💌
I’m putting together the October issue of The Post-Up Club right now, and this is one of my favorite parts of the month. It’s when the stories, paper extras and little details that will eventually show up in your mailbox start coming together.
If you’ve been curious about The Post-Up Club, it’s a monthly way to slow down and spend a little more time enjoying women’s basketball away from the screen. I’d love to send the October issue your way.
OVERTIME ⏱️
Howard’s Story: Natasha Howard shares the obstacles she overcame on her way to becoming a three-time WNBA champion in her new memoir, The Vision Through My Lens.
A Nod to Staley: Nike and A’ja Wilson are releasing a Dawn Staley-inspired colorway of Wilson’s A-Two signature shoe on Friday, with design cues from Staley’s 1999 Nike Zoom S5.
Villa to Atlanta: Guard Matilde Villa, fresh off competing for Italy at the World Cup, has signed a developmental contract with the Atlanta Dream.
🗳️ Poll Results from Yesterday: We asked whether you think Unrivaled will sell out its tour stop in Detroit, and you all think the Motor City will show up. 71% of you responded “Absolutely.”
