The WNBA Finals were supposed to be the crown jewel of women’s basketball — the ultimate showdown that would showcase the league’s growth, star power, and passionate fanbase. Instead, it’s become a public relations nightmare.

Ticket prices have completely collapsed, with some resale sites showing seats dropping below $35, and fans online are calling it the “Finals no one asked for.”

Despite the league’s push to brand the Finals as a “historic matchup,” interest appears to be at an all-time low. Social media has been brutal, with many fans blaming the league’s leadership, poor officiating, and blatant favoritism throughout the playoffs. What was supposed to be a celebration of progress has instead turned into an awkward, half-empty arena story that even the WNBA’s biggest defenders are struggling to spin.

According to multiple reports, the average ticket price for Game 1 of the Finals has fallen nearly 60% since the semifinals ended. While prices for last year’s championship between the Aces and Liberty peaked at over $200 for lower-bowl seats, this year’s Finals have become a bargain-bin event. Entire sections remain unsold, and promotional codes have reportedly been offered to boost attendance.

Fans quickly noticed the trend, flooding social media with screenshots of ticketing platforms showing massive markdowns. “Thirty-five bucks for Finals basketball? That’s embarrassing,” one fan wrote on X. “The league can’t keep talking about growth when nobody’s showing up for the championship.”

The problem, many believe, stems from the lack of fresh storylines. After yet another year dominated by familiar teams and controversial refereeing, fans have simply tuned out. The excitement that Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever brought earlier in the season has vanished, replaced by what one fan called “a rerun of a rigged script.”

Even some analysts on ESPN and Fox Sports have quietly acknowledged the issue. One commentator noted that “the league’s best storyline left the playoffs too soon,” referring to Clark’s Fever, while another bluntly said, “The Finals don’t have a hook this year.” Without the polarizing star power that drives national buzz, the product — no matter how talented the players are — just isn’t moving the needle.

Critics have also pointed fingers at Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, whose recent controversies have left many fans frustrated. Between the backlash from players like Napheesa Collier, the rising concerns about injuries, and allegations of officiating bias, the WNBA’s credibility has taken major hits in the last month. “People don’t want to watch a Finals that feels manipulated,” a former player told one reporter. “It’s supposed to be competition, not politics.”

The optics are undeniably bad. TV ratings, while not yet fully released, are expected to reflect the declining enthusiasm. Several WNBA reporters noted that even during the semifinals, broadcast numbers were trending downward, a shocking reversal from the surge earlier in the season when Clark, Angel Reese, and Aliyah Boston drove record engagement. Without that rookie-fueled fire, the Finals are struggling to maintain momentum.

On Reddit and fan forums, the sentiment is overwhelmingly negative. Threads titled “Who’s Actually Watching the Finals?” and “This Is What Happens When You Alienate Fans” have gained traction, with many commenters arguing that the league ignored its most marketable players and doubled down on promoting teams that don’t attract casual viewers. “They pushed the Aces so hard that people got bored,” one fan wrote. “Now they’re reaping what they sowed.”

Meanwhile, those still defending the Finals argue that fans should support women’s basketball regardless of who’s playing. But that moral appeal isn’t filling arenas. At Game 1, photos circulating online showed entire upper decks half-empty — a visual disaster for a league claiming record-breaking attendance just weeks ago.

This ticket collapse has also reignited debates about marketing strategy. Some insiders have questioned why the WNBA continues to prioritize “safe narratives” over compelling ones. “The league had a golden opportunity to capitalize on rivalries and real emotion,” one sports business expert explained. “Instead, they’ve leaned on the same storylines for years — and the audience is tired.”

It doesn’t help that the Finals matchup has been marred by controversy. Fans still haven’t forgotten the questionable officiating that shaped the semifinals, particularly during the Fever-Aces series, where calls — and non-calls — seemed to overwhelmingly favor Las Vegas. The backlash was so intense that “#RiggedForTheAces” trended on social media for two straight days.

Now, with the defending champions back in the spotlight, the narrative feels recycled. “We’ve seen this movie before,” another fan said. “Same refs, same results, same winner. It’s predictable.”

Behind closed doors, even some league officials are reportedly nervous about the optics. Sources claim the WNBA is quietly exploring ways to boost engagement during the Finals, including celebrity appearances and last-minute partnerships. But as one insider put it, “You can’t fake hype — fans have to care, and right now, they don’t.”

What’s most concerning for the league is what this signals for the future. If the Finals can’t draw excitement, it undermines the argument that the WNBA is on the rise. “You can’t brag about ‘record growth’ when your biggest event has clearance-sale tickets,” said a former executive. “That’s not growth — that’s a warning sign.”

Meanwhile, players caught in the middle are growing frustrated too. Several stars have hinted that they feel overlooked or disrespected by how the league handles promotion and media coverage. One player privately admitted, “It feels like no matter how hard we play, the league only pushes what they want people to see.”

The result is a perfect storm — a disillusioned fanbase, a controversial leadership figure, and a Finals that has failed to capture hearts or headlines. The WNBA needed this series to be a celebration of progress. Instead, it’s become a symbol of stagnation.

Unless something changes — a dramatic finish, a viral moment, or a record-breaking performance — the 2025 WNBA Finals may be remembered less for basketball and more for the $35 tickets that no one wanted to buy.

For a league that claims to be “at its peak,” the silence in those half-empty arenas says it all.