The WNBA draft recently welcomed new talents like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese to the league, showcasing the continued growth of women’s sports, particularly women’s basketball. The 2024 draft shattered records with a record-breaking 2.45 million viewers tuning in to watch the Indiana Fever select Caitlin Clark as the first overall pick. Clark was part of a top-notch draft class that included other talented players like Cameron Brink, Kamilla Cardoso, Rickea Jackson, and Angel Reese.
The draft class of 2024 was considered a “generational class” by player Rickea Jackson, with viewership peaking at 3.09 million during the event. The draft marked a significant increase in interest in women’s basketball, following the historic NCAA championship game earlier in the month. That game saw a record 18.7 million viewers as Kamilla Cardoso and the South Carolina Gamecocks defeated Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the most-watched women’s basketball game ever.
Prior to the 2024 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 2023 draft, where Aaliyah Boston was the top pick, drew in 512,000 viewers. The success of these recent drafts highlights how much interest has grown around women’s basketball and how many talented players are entering the league.
Overall, it is clear that there is an increasing popularity of women’s sports and specifically women’s basketball as evidenced by these growing viewership numbers and impressive talent entering
