One Month In To 2024 Season, Rookies, Stars Lead WNBA To Record-Setting Heights
Tuesday, June 11, 2024 at 08:17PM By Barry Janoff
June 11, 2024: A month into a season featuring what is arguably the most high-profile rookie class in league history, the WNBA said it finished May with its highest attended opening month in 26 years and its most-watched start of season across each network all-time to date: ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, CBS, ION and NBA TV.
The WNBA Draft presented by State Farm (April 15) saw Caitlin Clark (Iowa) selected as the overall No. 1 pick by the Indiana Fever.
It also saw the arrival of heralded rookies including Angel Reese (Chicago Sky-LSU), Cameron Brink (Los Angeles Sparks-Stanford), Rickea Jackson (Los Angeles Sparks-Tennessee), Kamilla Cardosa (Chicago Sky-South Carolina), Kate Martin (Las Vegas Aces-Iowa) and Aaliyah Edwards (Washington Mystics-UConn).
Added to the veteran star power of such players as A’ja Wilson and Kesley Plum (Aces), Diana Taurasi and Brittany Griner (Phoenix Mercury) and Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty), across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and CBS, WNBA games are averaging 1.32 million viewers, nearly tripling last season’s average (462,000 viewers), according to the league.
ION, in its second-year airing WNBA games, saw average WNBA game viewership increase by 51% households, comparing Weeks 1-3 of the 2023 season to Weeks 1-3 of the 2024 season.
On NBA TV, the Los Angeles Sparks vs. the Indiana Fever May 28 averaged 356,000 viewers, making it the most-viewed WNBA game on NBA TV.
That was subsequently surpassed by the Fever at New York Liberty game June 2 that averaged 430,000 viewers, making it the most-viewed WNBA game on NBA TV all-time to date.
Since the start of the season, WNBAStore.com has already set the record for the most single-season sales in store history, with overall transactions are up 756% versus the same time period last year.
Clark, Reese and Brink rank among the Top Five in jersey sales.
WNBA social channels garnered 157 million video views through the first week of the season, the most viewed WNBA tip-off week on social media ever and up 380% vs. last year.
“What’s happening now in women’s basketball is confirmation of what we’ve always known,” Colie Edison, WNBA chief growth officer, said via the league. “The demand is there, and women’s sports is a valuable investment,
“We’re encouraged by growing engagement across all our verticals, especially as we welcome new and diverse audiences into our fandom. The WNBA continues to experience sustained growth as our league embraces this heightened momentum.”
Approximately 400,000 people attended WNBA games since the start of the season May 14 through the end of May, the most through the first month of the season in 26 years.
More than half of all WNBA games were sellouts, which is a 156% increase from last year.
In addition, WNBA arenas were filled to a 94% capacity, up 17% from last year.
Several teams moved games to larger arenas to accommodate ticket demand, including the Fever, Atlanta Dream, Connecticut Sun, Los Angeles Sparks, Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics.
The WNBA had a huge first week in terms of attendance, ratings and digital media.
The league saw a 14% increase in attendance from last year, with both the New York and Indiana leading the way with more than 17,000 fans at their home openers.
The Liberty became the first team in WNBA history to have more than $2 million in ticket revenue for a single game in its opener.
In all, there were ten sellouts during the league’s opening week.
The WNBA Commissioner’s Cup game June 7 with the Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark defeating the Washington Mystics in Capital One Arena 85-83 had an attendance of 20,233.
That was the second largest all-time for a WNBA regular season game, behind the all-time attendance mark of 20,674, set by the Washington Mystics on four occasions, twice in 1998 and twice in 1999, during regular season play, in Capital One Arena, then known as MCI Center.
It was also the largest WNBA attendance figure since the Sept. 7, 2007 Game 5 of the WNBA Finals when 22,067 saw the Phoenix Mercury defeat Detroit Shock in the Palace of Auburn Hills, Mich., to win the WNBA title.
The all-time mark was on Sept. 16, 2003 during Game 3 of the WNBA Finals between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock, played before a crowd of 22,076 in the Palace of Auburn Hills.
The Opening Night game featuring the Indiana Fever vs. the Connecticut Sun (May 14) averaged 2.12 million viewers across ESPN2, ESPN+ and Disney+, peaking at 2.34 million viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA game on Disney platforms all-time to date.
The Indiana Fever vs. the New York Liberty (May 18) on ABC averaged 1.71 million viewers, making it the most-viewed WNBA game on ABC all-time and the second-most-viewed game across Disney networks.
The Connecticut Sun vs. Indiana Fever (May 20) averaged 1.56 million viewers, making it the most-viewed WNBA game on ESPN all-time to date.
The WNBA said it also saw complementary viewership marks amongst diversified audiences.
Notably, viewership grew 60% year-over-year among people of color, with the most-represented demographics in that category – Hispanic and Black fans – recording a 96% and 67% year-over-year growth in viewership, respectively.
Tip-Off Week presented by CarMax saw a 124% increase in Under-35 viewership and a 139% growth in young girls watching games.
Support for the WNBA will continue during the Paris Olympics (July 26-Aug. 11) even as the league takes a break following games on July 20 thru games on Aug. 15,
Led by Diana Taurasi, who will make a record sixth straight Olympic appearance, USA Basketball today named the official 2024 USA Basketball Women’s National Team, which will compete at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, which includes 12 players on WNBA rosters.
In addition to Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury), the 2024 USA Women’s National Team includes Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx), Kahleah Copper (Phoenix Mercury), Chelsea Gray (Las Vegas Aces), Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury), Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty), Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm), Kelsey Plum (Las Vegas Aces), Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty), Alyssa Thomas (Connecticut Sun), A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) and Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces).
The USA women will hold training camp in Phoenix before competing against the WNBA All-Stars in the league’s 2024 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game July 20 in sold-out Footprint Center (ABC).
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