The WNBA didn't get Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham in the Finals, but it may have gotten the next best thing in terms of viewership hopes.
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it → get → hopes
Angel Reese’s Atlanta Dream face the Golden State Valkyries in a best-of-seven series beginning Oct. 17, matching a franchise seeking its first championship against an expansion team chasing a title in its second season.
Both organizations also bring distinctive cultural identities.
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organizations → face → identities
Atlanta’s players once campaigned against their own Republican co-owner, supporting Democrat Raphael Warnock.
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players → campaign → Warnock
Golden State has embraced LGBTQ outreach through Pride celebrations, drag performances and community partnerships.
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State → embrace → celebrations
Those histories offer another layer to a matchup with straightforward basketball questions: Can Golden State prevent Reese from creating second chances, and can Atlanta’s defense generate enough easy baskets to win the championship?
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defense → offer → championship
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page → contain → partners
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News → sign → wager
This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom.
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that → create → newsroom
The Angel Reese show
These Finals could provide an indication of the WNBA’s current drawing power without Clark, and just how much star power Angel Reese has.
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Reese → provide → power
Reese brings a substantial following of her own.
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Reese → bring → own
Her Instagram account had approximately 5.3 million followers as of Oct. 10, which is the most of any WNBA player and more than one million more than Clark.
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which → have → Clark
Her visibility extends beyond basketball.
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visibility → extend → basketball
She has a signature Reebok shoe and became the first female athlete featured in a national McDonald’s meal collaboration in 2025.
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She → have → 2025
Those partnerships have put her name before consumers who may not regularly watch the WNBA.
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who → put → WNBA
Her first Finals appearance now offers an opportunity to see whether that recognition translates into viewers following her pursuit of a championship, with Clark and the Fever eliminated.
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Clark → offer → championship
Indiana’s decisive first-round loss to Las Vegas averaged 2.25 million viewers across USA Network and CNBC.
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loss → average → Network
Atlanta’s semifinal opener against New York averaged 1.2 million on ABC, according to Sports Media Watch.
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opener → average → Watch
The games aired on different networks and in different time slots, making them benchmarks rather than a direct measure of either player’s individual appeal.
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them → air → appeal
The league has already demonstrated that a Finals without either Clark or Reese can attract a sizable audience.
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Finals → demonstrate → audience
Last year’s Las Vegas–Phoenix championship series averaged 1.5 million viewers across ABC and ESPN, the second-most-watched Finals on ESPN networks behind 2024.
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series → average → 2024
This year’s series will air across NBC, USA Network and Peacock, adding another consideration to comparisons with previous championships.
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series → air → championships
One series cannot establish the league’s permanent audience ceiling.
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series → establish → ceiling
But Reese’s championship debut could help show how much of her substantial off-court following—and the broader interest surrounding the WNBA—will follow her onto its biggest stage.
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much → help → stage
Both the Dream and Valkyries have histories of left-wing activism
Atlanta brings a history of campaigning against a Republican co-owner, while Golden State has established prominent ties to LGBTQ advocacy.
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State → have → advocacy
The Dream’s political activism drew national attention in 2020, when then-co-owner Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler opposed the WNBA’s embrace of the Black Lives Matter movement.
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Loeffler → draw → movement
She urged the league to replace planned Black Lives Matter and "Say Her Name" warmup apparel with American flags.
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She → urge → flags
"The truth is, we need less — not more politics in sports," Loeffler wrote to then-Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
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Loeffler → need → Engelbert
Dream players and others across the league responded by wearing "Vote Warnock" shirts, supporting Democrat Raphael Warnock in his challenge to Loeffler.
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players → respond → Loeffler
Atlanta’s Elizabeth Williams described the effort as voluntary and driven by players.
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Williams → describe → players
Warnock defeated Loeffler in the January 2021 runoff.
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Warnock → defeat → runoff
The following month, the league approved the Dream’s sale to an ownership group comprising Larry Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair and former Dream guard Renee Montgomery.
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league → approve → Gottesdiener
Montgomery, who had sat out the 2020 season to focus on social justice work, remains a co-owner and vice president.
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who → sit → work
The franchise’s official biography highlights her advocacy for social justice and equality in women’s sports.
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biography → highlight → sports
Those events preceded Reese’s arrival in Atlanta by several years.
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events → precede → years
Golden State, which began playing in 2025, has a shorter organizational history but has made LGBTQ outreach a visible part of its identity.
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outreach → begin → identity
Its second annual Pride Game, against Atlanta on June 26, featured a surrounding celebration with drag performances, Pride merchandise and a halftime lineup featuring Sasha Colby.
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Game → feature → Colby
The franchise also announced participation in four regional Pride celebrations and sponsorship of the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival.
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franchise → announce → Festival
The Valkyries’ advocacy earned recognition from Equality California and the National Center for LGBTQ Rights, along with a Community Ally Award from the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club.
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advocacy → earn → Club
After Golden State’s victory over Atlanta that Pride Night, Gabby Williams celebrated toward a camera with the declaration, "For the gays!"
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Williams → celebrate → gays
Williams and Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase have also publicly supported transgender athletes participating in women’s sports.
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Williams → support → sports
…and 42 more, not listed.
The Aporia
