Was rookie Caitlin Clark the sole reason for the WNBA’s historic 2024 viewership spike? If you ask Sue Bird, the answer is no. But if you ask Stephen A. Smith, the answer is a highly passionate YES backed by statistics. However, the same statistics that back the Caitlin Clark effect also make a strong case for the Breanna Stewart-led New York Liberty and their final rival, the Minnesota Lynx.

Firstly, for the unversed, here’s Clark’s impact on WNBA viewership. After she arrived in the Indiana Fever squad, the team’s average attendance rose to 17,035, up 319% over 2023. Moreover, merchandise sales skyrocketed, with the 6-foot Guard’s Number 22 Fever jersey becoming the highest-seller. After her record-breaking spree landed the Fever in their first playoffs in 7 years, Game 2 of their first-round series against the Connecticut Sun averaged a record 2.5 million viewers.

As per Front Office Sports, the playoff overall is averaging 970,000 viewers per game, up 142% over last year. However, all Clark supporters expected this fanfare to die after Indiana was eliminated by the Sun. Though the 2.5 million mark is yet far from being matched, the 2024 WNBA final is on pace to set a new viewership record for a five-match series. This is a testament to Breanna Stewart’s neck-to-neck rivalry with Napheesa Collier in the Lynx v/s Liberty games. Game 1, where Minnesota made a stupendous comeback from an 18-point deficit to win in overtime, averaged 1.14 million viewers, up 57% from the 2023 finals.

This somewhat sways the Caitlin Clark debate in Sue Bird’s favor, who said, “The WNBA playoff semifinal games, where Caitlin is not in it because her team lost, are still breaking records from previous years. They are still cracking a million viewers.” It was here that Stephen A. Smith retorted with, “Respectfully, Sue Bird, you are inaccurate. It is just that simple,” in a rant that went over 5 minutes.

While Clark’s impact cannot be undercut, a good chunk of credit also goes to the other teams burning the midnight oil to elevate their gameplay, and in turn, the eyeballs on the league. And Breanna Stewart, who has been the face of the Liberty, is thinking two steps ahead.

Breanna Stewart demands deserved salary hike for WNBA players after league’s historic viewership

Big changes are afoot in the WNBA. 2025 onwards, the finals will expand to a 7-game series, replacing the best-of-5 format. The best-of-3 first-round series will also change to a 1-1-1 format, where the higher-seeded team will host the first and last game, instead of the first two games. Along with these attempts to level the playing field, even the players’ financial well-being needs to be taken into account.

In 2024, the maximum salary is capped at $241,984 a year and the league low is $64,154. The argument of ‘get paid according to the business you bring in’ needs to be accounted for 2025 and beyond. The WNBA is finally witnessing a massive growth in attendance and viewership and Breanna Stewart believes it needs to reflect immediately on the players’ bank accounts.

“I think that making sure the salary cap continues to grow and correlates with the TV deal,” Stewart said, referring to the WNBA’s 11-year media rights deal featuring Disney, Amazon Prime Video and NBCUniversal, valued at $2.2 billion. “I don’t know how you break that down.” The Liberty Guard also commented on the pension requirements. She didn’t agree with the 8-year presence needed of a player in the league to reap the benefits. “The other thing is family planning and child care benefits can be a little bit better. Eight years of service is a really long time. Not many players are in the league for eight years,” Stewart added.

WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes also voiced her concern in September, citing the lack of pension and healthcare for retired players. Though the WNBA players are yet to receive such basic benefits, the rising viewership will constantly badger the senior management to get it done. Till then, it’s the 2024 final that we should focus on, with New York traveling to Minnesota for Game 3 on Thursday night.