As the WNBA 2024 season comes to a close, the league is finally being spotlighted in the media after 27 years with tremendous advancements in viewership and coverage.
According to NBC writer Jake Piazza, the league attracted an all-time record of more than 54 million unique viewers across all platforms. A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) continues to prove that she is the MVP of the WNBA with dominance on the court. Star rookies like Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever) and Angel Reese (Chicago Sky) brought wider social media attention. In college, Clark was a highly anticipated player widely respected for her skill and stellar shooting ability, being compared to all-time greats such as Stephen Curry. Because of this and the feud between Clark and Reese, there has been widespread speculation online garnering increased attention to the league. As a result, ESPN doubled its WNBA viewership during the regular season compared to last year.
In addition to receiving attention online, this season’s game attendance has been the highest in 22 years. Historically, the WNBA’s attendance has been low, but this season saw endorsement from various celebrities who attended games. Kim Kardashian, her daughter North West, and rapper Latto were among those in the front row attending WNBA games.
This has all culminated in financial success for the players. New broadcast rights deals have increased the revenue of the league significantly, with the potential to transform the lives of players. According to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, “Partnering with Disney, Amazon and NBCU marks a monumental chapter in WNBA history and clearly demonstrates the significant rise in value and the historic level of interest in women’s basketball”. Players have also been seen in campaigns for various notable brands. Cameron Brinks appeared in a campaign for the aforementioned Kim Kardashian clothing brand Skims. In addition, Angel Reese partnered with Reese’s Pieces, and Caitlin Clark’s Wilson Basketball sold out in less than forty minutes, further exemplifying the rise of the WNBA. All of this has resulted in benefits for the players, such as finally having charter planes for the league, a long conflict between the WNBA and its players.
So far, the 2024 playoff has given us many notable moments. Clark’s rookie season saw the Indiana Fever enter their first playoff since 2017 and winning her the Associated Press Rookie of the Year award unanimously. However, with the team losing to the Suns in the first round of playoffs, fans are anticipating more from her. Longtime player Dianna Taurasi, who is largely considered the best WNBA player ever, may have played her last game after the Lynx eliminated the Mercury.
With the increasing viewership in the WNBA 2024 season, many fans are looking forward to the next season. Star players like Caitlyn Clark, Angel Reese, A’ja Wilson, and Brenna Stewart (New York Liberty) are sure to keep them on their toes during games. Collegiate athletes such as Paige Bueckers, the former national player of the year, and Juju Watkins, the number one recruit of her class are promising. The rise of WNBA has only started, and we’ll have to wait to see what other improvements will come in the later seasons.
