Women’s Sports Are About to Have Their Biggest Year Ever — Here Are the 5 Leagues to Follow in 2025

Women’s sports had a moment in 2024. Personal presence and the audience was biggerwomen’s professional sports sponsorships up 22%and the athletes had greater visibility, with stars like the Olympian Ilona Mayer and WNBA player Angel Reese becoming household names on and off the pitch.

While the networks have traditionally made it difficult to keep up with women’s leagues, they are seeing increased interest and responding to demand. According to Voxthe first five WNBA games broadcast on ESPN this season exceeded last year’s audience by 226%. In response, the league is adding two new teams Toronto and the San Francisco Bay Areamaking way for new fans. All WNBA games can be viewed on the league’s streaming service League passwith others airing on Amazon Prime, ESPN+ and local networks.

Building the excitement of women’s basketball and the 2024 Summer Olympicsactress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg facilitates access to women’s sports. in november Goldberg announced his release All Women’s Sports Network (AWSN), a 24/7 streaming channel featuring live women’s sports from around the world – everything from soccer to basketball to tennis to cricket. The network is available for streaming Roku, Amazon Fire TV and the Vizio WatchFree+ platform.

“This is the moment. We are absolutely in the middle of the renaissance of women’s sports. There is no other time in history where women’s sports have been so popular.” Nefertiti Walker, professor and assistant vice president for Academic Affairs at University of Massachusettsformer NCAA player and author of “Killing the trolls! Why trolls are so, so wrong about women and sports,” said to Reckon in Nov.

For the renaissance of women’s sport to continue in 2025, we need to tune in. Here are five rising women’s sports leagues to watch next year:

Basket-ball

If you haven’t jumped into the world of women’s basketball yet, you’re already behind. The WNBA continues to set viewership records, with the 2024 season marking a significant increase. The league’s expansion to Toronto and San Francisco brings the total number of teams to 14 for the 2025 season. The New York Liberty claimed their first WNBA championship in 2024, beating the Las Vegas Aces.

In April, Honey shared a the “girl’s guide” to the Final Fourfilling readers in on knowledgetea and all the key players to watch. With many of these players now in their professional WNBA basketball careers, we get a front row seat to the careers of future basketball legends. If you’re not sure where to start, Reckon has published a list of Top 10 Outspoken WNBA Players You Must Keep in May.

The The 2025 season starts in Maywith games available on League Pass, ESPN networks and Amazon Prime.

More on who to enter/who to watch: Key players to watch include 2024 MVP Aja Wilson and college standout turned pro Angel Reese. Fans can keep up to date with The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show podcastwhich features weekly analysis and player interviews.

Hockey

The Professional women’s ice hockey league (PWHL) launched its first season in January, marking a new era of women-led sports organizations. The PWHL consists of six teams, three of which are based in US cities: the Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frostand Sirens of New Yorkwhich makes it pretty easy to keep up.

Some matches are broadcast on Amazon Prime, with the inaugural season running until May 2025. The league’s full schedule is available at PWHL.com.

More to get into/who to follow: The Jock in Jills podcast features the biggest stars in women’s hockey, plus cutting-edge talent that will help you figure out who’s who in the sport. Black Girl Hockey Club advocates for black women in ice hockey, creating a more inclusive space in the sport. 2023 International Ice Hockey Federation Player of the Year and Olympic Gold Medalist Hilary Knight he is one of the best players you need to know.

Lacrosse

The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) will be launched. a women’s league (Women’s Lacrosse League) in 2025consisting of four teams whose hometowns and players have yet to be announced. While team locations are pending, the inaugural season will debut during PLL 2025 Lexus Championship Series in February.

games will broadcast on ESPN+ from February 11 to 17.

More to enter/who to watch: This month, PLL launched a new docu-series, “The League: Building the WLL” which provides a behind-the-scenes look at how the league came together. US Lacrosse is the governing body of the sport and Charlotte North is a key player joining the new league.

Rugby

The Women’s elite rugby league debuts in 2025, becoming the first professional women’s rugby league in the United States. Initial markets will span the entire country, with teams in the Bay Area, Denver, Twin Cities, Chicago, New York and Boston.

The league schedule has not been released at the time of publication.

More to enter/who to watch: “2022”No woman, don’t tryThe documentary provides insight into the challenges women rugby players overcome to pursue their passion – including gender inequality and racism. The Foundation XV empower women who play rugby, Alycia Washington, Sylvia Braaten

Football

After winning a $22 million lawsuit against US Soccer for gender discrimination based on 2022 salary differentials, the US Women’s National Soccer Team continues to lead change in women’s sports.

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) was convened Must-see TV from ESPNbecause the semifinals offered not only amazing athleticism, but also viral moments and drama that would catch the eye of people who may not even be interested in sports. Investors are taking note, with the likes of Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and husband of sports mogul Serena Williams, and Laura Rickettsof the Ricketts family that owns Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs, to buy and invest in NWSL teams.

The sport continues to grow. Last month, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman announced that Cincinnati, Cleveland and Denver were the three finalists for the 16th team of the league. Besides, FIFA is given the expansion of the Women’s World Cup to 48 teamsequal to the men’s tournament.

NWSL Game Stream on their NWSL+ platformavailable for free on Apple TV, Fire TV and Roku.

More to enter/who to follow: Two podcasts to follow for updates and discussion are “The women’s football show” and “Full Time with Meg Linehan.” Players to watch include Trinity Rodman and Naomi Girma.

Base-ball

In November, the Women’s professional baseball league (WPBL) has announced plans to launch in the summer of 2026. This will be the first women’s pro league since the 1950s. According to their website, the league will start with six franchises and the team owner selection is currently underway.

We don’t have details on where to watch yet, but stay tuned WPHL and co-owner Justine Siegal on social media for updates.