Caitlin Clark created a buzz around the WNBA season. Here’s how the first half exceeded expectations.
All eyes were on its 2024 Draft as college stars Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Cameron Brink and others made the jump into the professional world — bringing a popularity boom of women’s basketball with them.
When the highly-anticipated WNBA season kicked off in May, many projected it to be one of the most viewed in league history.
“I feel like there’s just as much, if not more, hype leading into this season than we saw the last time to this degree in 1997,” said Rebecca Lobo, the UConn women’s basketball legend and current ESPN analyst back in May. “I think we’re going to see numbers that we haven’t seen since the very early years of the WNBA.”
Now about halfway through the regular season, those expectations have have been exceeded in some areas. Clark’s stardom brought a new audience to the WNBA. And it has been seen throughout the league, with fans embracing their teams with renewed pride and enthusiasm.
Plus, the product on the court has never been stronger. New York and Las Vegas have reclaimed their top spots in the league, while Connecticut and Minnesota have also proven to be title contenders.
And the players have only gotten better. A’ja Wilson of Las Vegas is having another MVP-caliber season. Veterans such as Sabrina Ionescu of New York, DiJonai Carrington of the Sun and Kahleah Copper of Phoenix are stepping up on experienced teams. And even Clark and Reese have adjusted extremely well to the professional stage — both already establishing themselves in the WNBA record books.
Following the All-Star Game this weekend in Phoenix, the league will have a four-week break due to the Olympics. When it returns in mid-August, the race to September’s playoffs will be in full swing and excitement around the league could reach new heights.
Interest in the league will only rise with a new media rights deal reportedly coming.
“It seems like we’re hitting numbers that we haven’t hit in at least in the last couple of decades. And the play on the floor has been exactly what we had hoped for,” Lobo said Wednesday on an ESPN media conference call. “… We’ve seen the ratings play out in a big way. Not only when Caitlin Clark is playing but when other teams are playing as well.
“We’re way above where we were a year ago in terms of average ratings, average attendance, all of that. I think we kind of saw what was coming and the players, which we all knew they would, have delivered and hopefully the Olympic break will be nothing but more fuel in terms of the excitement level when people come back and get re-engaged with the W after the break.”
WNBA Boom
The WNBA opened the 2024 season at Mohegan Sun Arena with the Connecticut Sun hosting Clark and the Indiana Fever.
The game averaged 2.12 million viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA game on any Disney/ESPN platform ever.
And that was just the beginning.
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Since then, more people have tuned in and attended WNBA games than ever before. Live game streams on X, formerly known as Twitter, often surpass 100,000 to 200,000 viewers. Games are sold-out weeks in advance — even the ones without Clark.
Las Vegas became the first team in league history to sell out all of its home games. Most games draw over 10,000 fans, with some teams moving games to bigger nearby arenas to accommodate bigger crowds.
“Now people are seeing sort of this hidden gem is no longer hidden,” Lobo said. “It’s polished and it’s out there and people are appreciating it, and we love it. It’s awesome.”
The WNBA has become the talking point of the summer. Coverage has become mainstream with more local and national outlets pouring in resources to cover the league and spotlight its players. And with more and more stores selling WNBA merchandise, the access to the league has never been greater.
Michael Conroy/Associated Press
Talks about creating even more frequent national spotlight on the league are underway. ESPN could soon have a daily show devoted to the WNBA
“I think we’re getting very close, to be honest with you,” said Sara Gaiero, ESPN’s VP of Production. “I think the success that we have seen in the last two years in the women’s basketball space has made it difficult for people to turn their eye to it. And so now what it’s taking is, again, these internal stakeholders … within the women’s basketball space, pushing our leadership team to really prioritize finding space on our linear platforms, digital platforms for this conversation.”
And with a reported new media rights deal for the league valuing at $200 million annually and broadcast partners in ESPN, NBC and Amazon Prime, the league’s growth is only just getting started.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
“This is really a beautiful moment. And what we’re seeing now is what the league has always deserved,” said WNBA Countdown host LaChina Robinson. “… I hope more than anything that the WNBA continues to be more accessible in this new media rights deal. Yes, the money’s not official. I hope it’s way more than our current deal.
New faces, new records
Former Husky great Diana Taurasi made headlines when she said “reality is coming” for Caitlin Clark ahead of her debut in the WNBA. Clark had all the hype in the world beginning her pro career this spring after setting the NCAA’s all-time scoring record during her time at Iowa while becoming the face of the college game for her sharp passing and unbelievable half-court shots.
But Taurasi wasn’t wrong.
WNBA teams shaped their defensive attacks to focus on Clark and getting her out of her groove. They threw multiple defenders at her, bodied her with bigger and stronger screens and constantly upped their physicality against the guard.
During her WNBA debut against Connecticut, Clark was visibly frustrated heading into the locker room at halftime after Carrington’s defense held her to 2-of-7 from the floor with five turnovers in the fist half. Clark finished the game with 10 turnovers, setting the Fever’s record for most in a single game.
Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press
But as the season continued, Clark found her spot and began to do what she does best — read the floor and create for her teammates. While she’s still defensive assignment No. 1 for opposing teams, Clark has increased her assist production and thrived playing alongside Aliyah Boston.
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“She doesn’t get sped up anymore,” Lobo said. “She sees the defensive coverages and she knows how to get rid of the ball and it might lead to an assist, it might lead to a hockey assist, it might just lead to good play on the offensive end of the floor. She’s handled it better when she gets picked up when she doesn’t have the basketball in her hands.
“I feel like not just Caitlin but the whole team, the coaching staff, everyone has adjusted and did it relatively quickly to how to counter what the defenses were doing to Caitlin.”
Steve Marcus/Associated Press
On Wednesday, Clark set the WNBA’s single-game assist record with 19 against Dallas. She’s also 103 assists away from the WNBA’s single-season assist record (currently held by Alyssa Thomas with 316). She’s currently No. 1 in the league with 8.2 assists per game and No. 2 at 35.2 minutes per contest.
“The other thing that I don’t think can be underscored enough is we are talking about an all-time transcendent player who is already proving to be one of the best players in the league,” ESPN Play-by-Play Commentator Ryan Ruocco said. “Forget just rookies at this point. If you’ve watched Caitlin Clark over the last month, it is very clear that by the end of the season, we’re going to be talking about whether or not she is First-Team All-WNBA. That’s how great she is already.’
And it’s not just Clark who’s having a standout rookie season.
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Reese, the No. 7 overall pick in the draft, has become the face of the Chicago Sky and one of the most consistent post players in the league. She battles head-to-head with the top veteran forwards and hangs with them when rebounding gets physical. The former LSU star is also getting more comfortable creating her own shot by taking her time around the rim — something she’s learned from former Husky great Tina Charles.
