The WNBA’s draft in mid-April broke viewership records, averaging 2.45 million viewers and peaking at 3.09 million.
. The commissioner explained that while the WNBA has gained a surge in popularity ahead of the season, it still needs to fill the gap in its media rights and corporate partnerships.
“It’s all driven by the economic model,” Engelbert said. “We’re building something big here from an economic perspective. We’ve been investing, our teams and owners have been investing. That’s going to fund things like higher pay and better travel for our players.” Engelbert attributed some of WNBA’s newfound popularity to the rivalry between basketball players Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, who played for Louisiana State University and the Iowa Hawkeyes, respectively, and will soon make their league debut. She added that the WNBA has invested in marketing, specifically around these rivalries.
Additionally, Engelbert stressed how further expansion of WNBA teams is “an absolute must” in building up the league’s popularity. As such, the league is getting calls from “a ton of cities,” and the WNBA is seeking to expand its lineup from 12 teams to 16.Meanwhile, Clark was selected to join the Indiana Fever, with her debut game against the Dallas Wings on May 3
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