Confetti fell from the rafters and a raucous Brooklyn crowd roared in triumph. new york liberty Congratulations, the year 2024 has come to an end. WNBA season.
But this was no ordinary year for women. basketball.
From record-breaking rookies to never-seen-before viewership ratings, to reaching the peak in the breathtaking, back-and-forth finals. 2024 The season is what determines the future of the sport.
‘The perfect storm’
The latest edition of the WNBA season had all the makings of an explosive success, and all the pieces fell into place almost by accident.
“It’s been a perfect storm for the league to grow exponentially, and the college game has provided a huge boost to the WNBA this season,” said veteran WNBA analyst LaChaina Robinson. CNN Sports.
etc. rookie Caitlin Clark and angel lis Playing at the college level, she built a huge fan base and was able to perform with and against WNBA stars who are now household names.
The analyst said increased investment coupled with on-court excellence was also a key catalyst in helping ride the growing wave of interest in the league.
“The product has always been great, but decision makers have come from many perspectives to say, ‘We’re going to invest in women, we’re going to invest in women’s sports.’ ‘We invest in men’s sports,’ Robinson said. “And that applies to brands. It even applies to ownership.”
These investments include expanding league coverage to WNBA fans. Fans now have the opportunity to watch a variety of games across a variety of media. This is a huge change compared to the past.
Covering the WNBA since 2008, Robinson has been able to witness the league’s growth firsthand. When she started her media career, she was one of the few experts following the league, and now she remembers seeing packed press boxes all over the W.
Robinson talks about the 2015 WNBA Finals. Minnesota LynxHe lost painfully to Liberty in this year’s final and remembers the stadium with empty seats scattered around the lower bowl. Fast forward to this year, and that certainly wasn’t the case.
“Have you seen this kind of change happening? Maybe it can happen this quickly? Of course I believed it, but to actually live in it right now, it’s really just, I don’t know. It’s really hard to put into words,” says Robinson.
“I’m just grateful for the people who are brave and bold enough to go to brand and marketing conferences and say they believe in women’s sport. Not only do we think it’s good for the sport and good for women, we think it’s a smart investment.
“I believe in the strength and resilience of these athletes who have spent 28 years pursuing everything they deserve.”
Current WNBA players are equally grateful to those who laid the foundation for the league before them.
“There are people before (the 2024 rookie class) who allowed this to happen because there wouldn’t be viewership without me and the people who came before them.” Three-time WNBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist chelsea gray He told CNN in August.
Phoenix Mercury rookie Charisma Osborne shares similar sentiments with CNN Sport.
“From (my teammates’) perspective, seeing how much things have changed and how much the game has grown, the WNBA has done a very good job, from charter flights to having their own practice facilities.”
Now the team is starting to invest and move into its own state-of-the-art practice facility. In 2023, the Aces moved into a new 64,000-square-foot home in Nevada, becoming the first WNBA team to move into a purpose-built facility.
“It was really interesting to hear their perspective, and I think it gave me a very appreciative perspective on how far the league has come,” Osborne says.
Record numbers on and off the court
This year I saw More eyes on the WNBA More than ever. Attendance is up 48% from 2023, sellouts are up 242% and more people are attending. National average broadcast There are more WNBA games played this season (657,000 games) than any other season in the 21st century.
And as viewership ratings soared, court records began to falter.
“Honestly, that’s the easy part for the players,” Robinson says of stars performing to sold-out stadiums with greater expectations. “They have been playing for a long time and have provided a high standard in terms of their play on the court. I think they invite the moment.”
Osborne was surprised by the interest surrounding the WNBA during the league’s first season.
“It’s been really cool to see so much talk about the WNBA, whether it’s on ESPN or any sports network or through social media, and especially to see the talk coming straight from college to the WNBA,” UCLA’s The rookie said. said.
One of the reasons there has been more interest around the league this season has been the hype surrounding the 2024 draft class.
Clark and Reese came into the WNBA with expectations at an all-time high. The pair has been dominant at the college level, and fans have been waiting to see if that will translate to the WNBA.
As the number of records falling increased, so did the scrutiny surrounding the pair.
Clark and Reese began to be viewed as enemies, and that was the story throughout his rookie campaign. The June 23 game between Clark’s Indiana Fever and Reese’s Chicago Sky was ESPN’s most-watched game in 23 years, with 2.3 million viewers watching the matchup. per network.
But the two lived up to those expectations, even if they didn’t exceed them.
Clark won Rookie of the Year honors and was named to the All-WNBA first team. This was the first rookie to do so since 2008. The Fever superstar also set rookie season records for both points and 3-pointers, becoming the first rookie to do so. To achieve a triple double. In addition to scoring, Clark set all-time WNBA records for assists and most dimes in a single game.
Reese did not finish his rookie season. injuryBut while healthy, the Sky star displayed her dominance on the court almost every night. 22 years old Set the all-time single-season rebounding record. – before surpassing her while A’ja Wilson was out – led the league in rebounds per game (averaging 13.1) and recorded her 15th consecutive double-double.
Osborne credited this phenomenon, and the rest of her rookie class, with helping women’s basketball grow throughout the season.
“It’s really amazing to see how much interest this class has brought to the game, and it’s definitely brought us a lot of new fans.”
Next season will see an equally coveted draft class enter the league. Led by UConn’s irrepressibly talented Paige Bueckers, WNBA fans will be treated to a draft featuring players who could already be classified as household names.
Not only did the rookies perform well in 2024, but the league’s veteran stars also lived up to expectations. No player was as good as Wilson.
now MVP winner 3 times It’s been a season for the ages. Ace Star has collapsed. Single season scoring records for points per game and total points Because she dominated the attack. Not satisfied with that, Wilson also It broke Leeds’ previously mentioned record. For total rebounds.
“We’ve never seen a player achieve the goals he’s hitting right now,” Robinson said of Wilson’s historic performance.
“We can talk about 27 great years of basketball, but her performance this year speaks to the fact that the game continues to evolve beyond what we thought.”
With players breaking records almost every night, it’s no surprise that merchandise sales are up 601% from the previous season.
next generation
Robinson says the increased visibility on social media has increased the potential of the WNBA and now allows the next generation of women’s basketball players to consistently see their role models.
“The women who participate in the league now have been in the WNBA their whole lives. And not only did they have the WNBA of their lives, but they also had a place on their hands where they could watch highlights on YouTube, watch games digitally, and go to their backyard and pretend to be Maya Moore. said Robinson.
For Osborne, this is true. The rookie was able to learn from the WNBA icons she grew up watching, including Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, and can now call them her co-workers.
“It’s kind of crazy to even say those guys are my teammates,” explains Osborne. “It’s great to have people leading by example, so you know exactly what to do when you need to do it.”
Now Osborne hopes to inspire the next generation as well.
“It’s a bit surreal. As you grow up, you think, ‘Oh, I could do that one day,’ and then you realize that that day is yours.
“I hope we all continue to inspire young girls. Because we were like that once. Hopefully, we can continue to inspire them to get involved and continue to support and participate in the league. It’s very interesting and a little crazy to say that.”
The league is set to expand from 12 to 15 teams, with rumors of more circulating, providing more opportunities for young girls looking to watch and play basketball in the future.
The Golden State Valkyries are scheduled to join the league in 2025, and Gray, a Bay Area native, can hardly contain his excitement about the upcoming expansion.
“Our team is coming to the Bay Area… “This is what I have been hoping for and waiting for since I was a little girl,” she said. “Now someone like me or growing up in the area can now grow up with a WNBA team in their own backyard.”
Not only does the WNBA have an important future on the court, but Robinson believes her position off the court is just as important.
“The WNBA has always been on the right side of history,” explains Robinson. “If you look at the record of this league, they have always supported human and civil rights and have not been afraid to speak out on those topics.
“The WNBA has always been a safe place for people of all shapes, sizes, backgrounds and cultures. Come together.”
As the league expands, player numbers continue to grow, and player profiles continue to grow, the WNBA’s influence on and off the court doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
“I think this league is an exemplary league that shows what women are, what women can be, their power, influence and impact,” Robinson concluded.
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