The 2024 WNBA draft recently welcomed new talents like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese to the league, marking a significant increase in interest in women’s basketball. With a record-breaking 2.45 million viewers tuning in to watch the Indiana Fever select Clark as the first overall pick, the draft class of 2024 was considered a “generational class” by player Rickea Jackson.
The success of the 2024 WNBA draft highlights the growing popularity and interest in women’s basketball, as viewership numbers continue to climb and showcase the incredible talent entering the league. Prior to this year’s draft, the previous record for viewership was in 2004 when Diana Taurasi was selected first overall by the Phoenix Mercury, attracting 600,000 viewers. The last significant viewership numbers were in 2000 during a game between the New York Liberty and the Houston Comets.
The NCAA championship game earlier in May saw a record 18.7 million viewers as Kamilla Cardoso and the South Carolina Gamecocks defeated Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in what was billed as one of the most-watched women’s basketball games ever. The success of this year’s draft is just one example of how much women’s sports have grown over time, particularly women’s basketball.
With more talented players like Clark joining