Women’s sports had a moment in 2024. In-person attendance and viewership were higher, women’s professional sports sponsorships increased by 22%, and athletes had greater visibility, with stars like Olympian Ilona Mayer and WNBA player Angel Reese becoming household names on and off the courts.

Though networks have traditionally made it difficult to keep up with women’s leagues, they are noticing the increased interest and responding to demand. According to Vox, the first five WNBA games that aired on ESPN this season beat last year’s viewership by 226%. In response, the league is adding two new teams in Toronto and the San Francisco Bay Area, making way for new fans. All WNBA games can be watched on the league’s streaming service League Pass, with others broadcast on Amazon Prime, ESPN+ and local networks.

Building off the excitement of women’s basketball and the 2024 Summer Olympics, actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg is making it easier to tune into women’s sports. In November, Goldberg announced the launch of All Women’s Sports Network (AWSN), a 24/7 streaming channel which showcases live women’s sports worldwide—everything from soccer to basketball to tennis to cricket. The network is available to stream on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Vizio’s WatchFree+ platform.

“This is the moment. We’re absolutely amid the women’s sports renaissance. There’s no other time in history that you’ve had women’s sports so mainstream,” Nefertiti Walker, professor and deputy vice president for Academic Affairs at the University of Massachusetts, former NCAA player and author of “Slaying the Trolls! Why the Trolls are Very, Very Wrong About Women and Sports,” told Reckon in Nov.

For the women’s sports renaissance to continue in 2025, we have to tune in. Here are five growing women’s sports leagues to watch next year:

Basketball

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 significant growth. 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, defeating the Las Vegas Aces.

In April, Honey shared a “girl’s guide” to the Final Four, filling readers in on the lore, the tea, and all the key players to watch. With many of these players now into their WNBA professional basketball careers, we’re getting a front row seat into the careers of future basketball legends. If you’re not sure where to start, Reckon published a list of the 10 hottest openly queer WNBA players you need to stan in May.

The 2025 season begins in May, with games available on League Pass, ESPN networks, and Amazon Prime.

More to get into/who to follow: Key players to watch include 2024 MVP A’ja Wilson and college standout-turned-pro Angel Reese. Fans can stay up to date with The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show podcast, which provides weekly analysis and player interviews.

Hockey

The Professional Women’s 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 U.S. cities: the Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost, and New York Sirens, which makes it pretty easy to keep up with.

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

More to get into/who to follow: The Jock in Jills podcast showcases the biggest stars in women’s hockey, plus up-and-coming talent, which will help you figure out who’s who in the sport. Black Girl Hockey Club advocates for Black women in ice hockey, carving out a more inclusive space in the sport. 2023 International Ice Hockey Federation Female Player of the Year and Olympic Gold Medalist Hilary Knight is one of the top players to get to know.

Lacrosse

The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) will launch a women’s league (Women’s Lacrosse League) in 2025, consisting of four teams whose home cities and players have not yet been announced. While team locations are pending, the inaugural season will debut during the 2025 PLL Lexus Championship Series in February.

Games will stream on ESPN+ from Feb. 11 to 17.

More to get into/who to follow: This month, PLL launched a new docuseries, “The League: Building the WLL” which gives a behind-the-scenes look on how the league came together. USA 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 across the country, with teams in the Bay Area, Denver, the Twin Cities, Chicago, New York and Boston.

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

More to get into/who to follow:  The 2022 “No Woman No Try” documentary offers insight on the challenges women rugby players overcome to follow their passion– including gender inequality and racism. The XV Foundation empowers women who play rugby,  Alycia Washington, Sylvia Braaten

Soccer

After winning a $22 million lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation for gender discrimination based on pay disparity in 2022, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team continues to drive change in women’s sports.

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has been called must-see TV by ESPN, because the semi-finals gave not only amazing athleticism, but viral moments and drama that would draw the eyes of people who may not even be interested in the sport. Investors are taking notice, with the likes of Alexis Ohanian, Reddit cofounder and husband of sports mogul Serena Williams, and Laura Ricketts, of the Ricketts’ family who owns Major League Baseball team the 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 are the three finalists for the league’s 16th team. Additionally, FIFA is considering expanding the Women’s World Cup to 48 teams, matching the men’s tournament.

NWSL games stream on their platform NWSL+, available for free on Apple TV, Fire TV, and Roku.

More to get into/who to follow: Two podcasts to follow for updates and discussions are “The Women’s Soccer Show” and “Full Time with Meg Linehan.” Must-follow players include Trinity Rodman and Naomi Girma.

Baseball

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

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