Loading…
Basketball
The US women's gold medal game at the 2026 FIBA World Cup drew a record 1.2 million viewers on TNT, as the WNBA paused its season to let players compete on the global stage.
AIAd
VIASPORT is a women’s sports platform covering the latest women’s sports news, scores, schedules, results, standings, rankings, fixtures, transfers and analysis from major leagues, tours and competitions around the world.
Our women’s football coverage includes the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), Women’s Super League (WSL), Liga F, Frauen-Bundesliga, Première Ligue, Serie A Femminile, Toppserien, A-Liga and Damallsvenskan, as well as major international women’s football competitions.
In women’s tennis, VIASPORT follows the WTA Tour and all four Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. Our women’s golf coverage includes the LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour (LET) and the major women’s golf championships.
VIASPORT also covers women’s basketball, including the WNBA, as well as women’s boxing, MMA and combat sports. Our boxing coverage follows major fights, world championships, rankings and title bouts across organizations including the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO, while our MMA coverage includes major organizations such as the UFC, Professional Fighters League (PFL), Invicta FC, ONE Championship and RIZIN Fighting Federation.
Our wider women’s sports coverage includes athletics, cycling, swimming, winter sports, motorsport and other emerging women’s sports and competitions. From domestic leagues and professional tours to major international championships, VIASPORT brings women’s sports news, live updates, results and analysis together in one dedicated destination.
The 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup final has set a new benchmark for women's basketball on American television. The gold medal clash between the United States and France pulled in an average of 1.2 million viewers on TNT - a record for the tournament.
In an unprecedented move, the WNBA halted its regular season to free up players for World Cup duty. Bill Simmons, founder of The Ringer, flagged the decision online just hours before tip-off, noting it as a surprising but deliberate choice by the league.
The women's basketball community was quick to point out that the WNBA has limited say over FIBA's scheduling. Debate swirled around whether the league was effectively compelled to release its players under FIBA's participation rules.
Historically, FIBA has held the upper hand when it comes to the international calendar, with domestic leagues expected to fall in line. But the WNBA's growing commercial clout is rewriting that dynamic.
This year marked the first time the two organisations formally agreed on a mid-season break for the World Cup. Looking further ahead, FIBA has announced plans to shift future tournaments to November and December - after the WNBA season wraps up.
The WNBA's latest collective bargaining agreement has driven player salaries upward and attracted a wave of international talent to the league. That influx has, in turn, pushed FIBA to improve conditions for athletes - a sign that the relationship between the two bodies is becoming genuinely collaborative rather than one-sided.
Written by
Updated
Copyright 2026 VIASPORT
Eva Hernández, Editor-in-Chief
VIASPORT uses AI to generate, enhance, and quality-assure its journalism. While we strive to create engaging and accurate material, imagery, grammar, and spelling may occasionally deviate from conventional standards.
