Record-Breaking Viewership for 2024 WNBA Draft: The Rise of Women’s Basketball

The 2024 WNBA draft saw the arrival of new talents like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, as well as other top-notch players, to the league. The draft marked a significant increase in interest in women’s basketball, with record-breaking viewership numbers. In particular, the Indiana Fever’s selection of Caitlin Clark as the first overall pick drew a record-breaking 2.45 million viewers.

Rickea Jackson, part of the 2024 draft class, considered it a “generational class,” with viewership peaking at 3.09 million during the event. This was a significant increase from previous years, following the historic NCAA championship game earlier in the month that saw Kamilla Cardoso and the South Carolina Gamecocks defeat Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in what became the most-watched women’s basketball game ever.

Prior to the 2024 draft, viewership records had been set in 2004 when Diana Taurasi was selected first overall by the Phoenix Mercury, attracting 600,000 viewers. However, this year’s draft also marked a milestone for women’s basketball as it drew more viewers than any other WNBA draft in over two decades. The last significant viewership numbers were seen in 2000 during a game between the New York Liberty and Houston Comets.

Overall, these impressive viewership numbers showcase that women’s basketball continues to grow in popularity and interest within sports communities worldwide. As more talented athletes enter the league and break records like these, we can expect even more exciting developments for this sport moving forward.