The WNBA season has concluded but what still remains in the limelight is the league’s unprecedented growth witnessed this season with arrival of star rookies like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. Whether the soaring viewership or the record-breaking ticket and merchandise sales, the figures have exponentially boomed on all the fronts. Now, even the reigning ROTY, Caitlin Clark, couldn’t resist addressing this upheaval and her statements might just incite Cathy Engelbert to capitalize on these fortunes.

Recently, Clark made an appearance via Zoom for an interview, a clip of which was later shared on X by Sneaker News. The Indiana Fever guard, currently enjoying her off-season, took the opportunity to reflect on the WNBA’s rapidly growing popularity and fanbase and how to unleash more from it.

“The amount of people that have showed up in the stadium, viewership numbers, to people really wanting to wear a WNBA Player’s jersey or buy their merch, whatever it is, or have their shoe. Just how it’s evolved and in such a short period of time, I think shows everyone, you know, there are real opportunities here and there has been opportunity,” Clark started. This, she sees as a real opportunity for the league to build on; not only for profitable benefit but also for the growth of women’s sports as a whole. 

“So I think that’s what so exciting. So the more we can continue to expand that and continue have games on national television and get people in seats,” expounded Fever #22. So Clark seems optimistic that further expansion could benefit Cathy Engelbert’s vision for the WNBA.

Excitingly, the league will welcome a new team, the Golden State Valkyries, next season. The WNBA Commissioner has even set her sights on ambitious goals, forecasting that one team could soon become a $1 billion franchise.

According to Sportico, she anticipates the average team valuation will rise to $500 million, a significant jump from the current $96 million. While Engelbert is focused on expanding to 16 teams, she believes the league could eventually grow to 20. However, Engelbert have all the reasons to take Clark’s remarks seriously and make further facilitating plans for league’s future. More so, with the WNBA finals witnessed a record-breaking viewership.

Record-breaking Finals viewership after a historic season

The Fever’s guard’s statements followed the conclusion of the WNBA Finals, which shattered records across the board. The first three games of the series each averaged over a million viewers, and the thrilling showdown between the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx set new benchmarks for both total and average attendance in a WNBA Finals.

The crowds were electric, with Game 5 drawing particular excitement as Barclays Center sold out with 18,090 fans packing the stands on the night of October 20, making it a historic moment for the league.

The WNBA Finals weren’t the only record-breaking moment this season—milestones were shattered all year long. ESPN’s coverage of the 2024 playoffs averaged 970,000 viewers across 17 games, marking a 142% increase compared to last year. This surge in viewership made it the most-watched playoff series on ESPN since the league’s inaugural season back in 1997.

During the regular season, the WNBA saw ticket sales soar by an impressive 93% compared to 2023. The excitement wasn’t limited to game days—the WNBA draft sold out its 1,800 fan tickets in just nine minutes. The season opener between Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun also made waves, peaking at 2.34 million viewers, setting a new record for the league.

This season also saw attendance hitting its peak in with 2.3 million fans attending games—up 48% from the previous season. The league experienced a 242% rise in sellouts, reaching 154 total. Caitlin Clark’s arrival sparked an incredible surge for the Fever alone, with ticket sales skyrocketing by 1,300% compared to the previous season—all before the former Iowa standout even stepped onto the court for her first game.

WNBA merchandise sales also boomed in 2024, showing a staggering 601% increase compared to the previous year. As all of this reflects on a season of remarkable growth and record-breaking achievements, the future looks bright. It would now be interesting to see how the WNBA Commissioner will take the league to greater success ahead.