One of the biggest cultural shifts in sports over 2024 was the rising popularity of the WNBA. The emergence of new stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese elevated the WNBA’s profile, attracting attention from prominent figures in sports and entertainment. One of the latest sports stars to rave about women’s basketball is Lamar Jackson.
While speaking with Essence Magazine, the reigning NFL MVP and Ravens quarterback gave both Clark and Reese their flowers for “inspiring” a new generation of girls, saying that women’s basketball has caught his attention.
“I really wasn’t too fond of basketball, like women’s basketball, because I was like ‘man, they are not dunking and stuff’ but now I’m saying ‘Not women dunking? They got handles! Women going crazy,’” he admitted.
“On a high level, I’m seeing Angel, I’m seeing Caitlin, I’m seeing all these girls just go crazy now. It’s inspiring. Other girls can grow up and play basketball, you know? They don’t get to be doing hair and stuff they can play basketball,” he continued.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire)
Both Reese and Clark had standout rookie seasons, with the Chicago Sky forward becoming a rebounding leader in the WNBA and breaking the double-double record for a rookie. Meanwhile, Clark, apart from breaking numerous records, won the Rookie of the Year award, as well as several recognitions such as TIME’s Athlete of the Year.
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WNBA growing popularity in 2024
In 2024, the WNBA reported growing numbers in both viewership and attendance, especially when it came to Indiana Fever’s games with Clark. According to Forbes, nationally televised games averaged 657,000 viewers, the highest audience in 24 seasons. While televised, Clark’s games with the Fever averaged 1.18 million viewers compared to 394,000 for all other games.
On the other hand, according to the WNBA, the league had its highest total attendance in 22 years (2,353,735), up 48% from last season. The league’s 154 sellouts marked a 242% increase from last season (45).
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It’s clear that the influence of both Clark and Reese has been good for the league, which is set to have an historic season in 2025, with the introduction of the new franchise, the Golden State Valkyries, as well as a new TV deal and a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
