In case you missed the news, the WNBA postseason is officially underway. Following an exciting regular season that found the league enjoying unprecedented levels of popularity, the playoffs started this past Sunday and will continue through mid-October. Whether you’re a diehard looking to root on one of the eight remaining contenders with other fans or you’re interested in hopping on the ever-growing bandwagon during what’s sure to be a thrilling postseason, you might be glad to learn there are at least a few places in and around Milwaukee where you can catch some WNBA action.
Since we plan to catch some games in public in the next month or so and we know others might share our interest, we asked around to see what some local bars were planning in regard to WNBA viewing this particular postseason. Though this list is far from comprehensive (at least we hope, as more places should be showing games!), here are some local spots where you’ll be able to catch some WNBA playoff games if you so desire.
Busby’s
The relative newcomer located at the edge of Bay View (and our partner in this year’s inaugural Morgan Park Picnic!) showed WNBA playoffs last year, which was the bar’s first summer/fall in existence. That trend will continue in 2025, as owner Rob Zellermayer says Busby’s will have two of its TVs dedicated to WNBA playoffs, with the exception of games that overlap with Brewers, Packers, and Badgers games.
Cactus Club
During the regular season, Cactus Club sporadically masqueraded as a sports bar by hosting select WNBA watch parties that featured games being shown in the bar and its live room, in-game sound from the broadcasts, and a DJ playing jams during commercial breaks. Though the Bay View venue’s especially packed show schedule and the uncertainty surrounding the postseason schedule won’t make full-fledged playoff watch parties possible, owner Kelsey Kaufmann says Cactus Club will always accommodate customer requests to show WNBA games on one of the two TVs (without sound) in the bar area…unless it overlaps with a Packers game because we have other plans during those games!
Champion’s Pub
We’re not telling tales out of school when we say Champion’s Pub is nothing short of a Milwaukee gem. The East Side bar is a fun and inviting place to hang out all the time, but it’s also a great spot to watch sports. And WNBA is no exception. The bar routinely shows WNBA games. Owner Bobby Greenya tells Milwaukee Record that Champion’s doesn’t focus on a specific team, but they’re happy to put a WNBA game on one of the bar’s six TVs if a customer requests it, even if the Brewers or Packers are playing.
Clementine’s Tavern
Yet another Bay View entrant on this list is Clementine’s Tavern. According to owner Robin Koutecky, the Clement Ave. bar always attempts to air WNBA games. And when they don’t, she says customers can request to have games turned on one of the business’ TVs.
Major Goolsby’s
Of course you’ll be able to watch some hoops over at Major Goolsby’s! Even though an employee from the bar says there are no special plans to air games, we’re told the business is happy to allocate one (or some) of its 57 (!!!) TV screens to WNBA games if requested.
The Newport/Creed’s Foggy Dew
Both classic Bay View haunt The Newport and its St. Francis sister bar Creed’s Foggy Dew are down to show WNBA games if customers request it be shown on one of the five TV sets in each establishment. “Of course, if there is a Packer game or Brewers game, those would get screen priority,” says owner/operator Tim Creed. “But we are always happy to accommodate anyone who pays us a visit, and would certainly find a TV for someone requesting a specific game.”
Potawatomi Sportsbook
If asking to watch a game on a bar’s TV isn’t your thing, allow us to remind you that Milwaukee now has its very own Sportsbook. And yes, we confirmed that Potawatomi Sportsbook will, in fact, be showing every WNBA game AND you can place bets on those games. We know nothing about gambling, really, but the over/under is 159.5 in tomorrow’s Liberty-Mercury game. We’d take the over.
As we said, we sincerely hope there are more places to watch the WNBA postseason, but this is a start. If you know of any other places, please email us or leave a comment and we’ll add it to the guide!