Basketball fans will have an opportunity to expand their fantasy horizons later this year as ESPN plans to launch women’s fantasy basketball for the upcoming 2022 season, according to Kendall Baker of Axios.
The new addition to ESPN’s fantasy lineup will mark the first time that a season-long, full-scale fantasy game has been dedicated to a major women’s sports league. The game is expected to debut in April ahead of the season opener in May, per Baker.
ESPN’s decision to release a women’s fantasy basketball experience comes shortly after the WNBA experienced a significant increase in viewership during the 2021 season. ESPN announced that last year’s WNBA Finals were the league’s most-viewed since 2017.
Following up on the success of last season, Disney networks will broadcast 25 nationally televised regular-season games during the 2022 WNBA season. A record-tying nine games will air on ABC.
The 2022 WNBA season will tip-off on May 6.
