By: Rachel Chen

Recently, the WNBA Showcase broke the record of the most-watched WNBA All-Star game broadcast of all time. Basketball players Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese helped bring their team to a victory, even attracting 3.44 million viewers on ABC channel. They both played in very popular games, both achieving at least 2 million viewers.

On Saturday July 20th, 2024, the game achieved 4.054 million viewers nationwide. It is also the 17th WNBA game in 2024 that has had over 1 million views, which was amazing because the WNBA has not had this streak throughout the past sixteen years.

Another WNBA player Arike Ogunbowale is also a major scorer, achieving the record of 34 points in the second half of an All-Star Game. She was awarded an All-Star Most Valuable Player, for the second time. The game she played in was the second year in a row that the WNBA All-Star Game has been on a network such as ABC in prime time.

WNBA showcase broke a 2003 record which was set in Madison Square Garden of 1.441 million viewers on ABC channel. The only reason the 2003 game was so popular was because the famous players, Lisa Leslie, Sue Bird, Dawn Staley, Sheryl Swoopzes, Cynthia Cooper, Tamika Catchings, Tina Thompson, Lauren Jackson, Teresa Weatherspoon, Chamique Holdsclaw, Katie Smith, Yolanda Griffith, Swin Cash and Nykesha Sales, Becky Hammon played in the game.

The WNBA has grown so much and has attracted the attention of so many fans. Julie Sobieski, ESPN SVP of League Programming and Acquisitions, says, “This weekend’s extraordinary viewership underscores women’s sports’ exponential growth and ESPN is proud to showcase this incredible league and its exceptional athletes on such a grand stage.”