Fresh off a historic season and 2024 WNBA title, Breanna Stewart raved about the continuous support the league is getting from fans as preseason games continue to draw impressive numbers.
After the league’s audience ballooned last season alongside Caitlin Clark’s rookie year, that popularity has apparently carried over into this year.
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The Indiana Fever’s game against the Brazilian National Team in Iowa on May 4 averaged 1.3 million viewers, per ESPN. According to the network, that figure beat viewership of 55 of 57 NBA preseason games on ESPN since 2010. Paige Bueckers’ preseason debut for the Dallas Wings also generated an average of 406,000 views on ION.
Before the reigning champion New York Liberty’s first preseason game against the Connecticut Sun, Stewart noted how the preseason viewership is a great indicator of the league’s growth.
“It’s a metric for us to see where we’re at,” the two-time MVP told reporters. “Having preseason games on ESPN or… I saw the Valkyries had 17k for their preseason game. Those things are unheard of, and it’s just showing how people want to support.”
Stewart also noted how the spike in ratings could help as WNBA players continue to advocate for higher salaries, with the current collective bargaining agreement up in October after the players opted out.
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As many WNBA athletes compete overseas during the offseason to fill financial gaps, Stewart and Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier founded the Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball league, which held its inaugural season from January through March. Participants earned at least $100,000 and averaged $220,000, nearly matching the WNBA maximum salary.
“It’s just showing how people want to support and things are going right in our favor as we get into the negotiations for a new CBA, but both sides, we’re doing this together,” Stewart said. “This is a momentum shift for the WNBA, and we need to take advantage of it.”
Stewart led the Liberty to their first WNBA title in 2024 after beating the Minnesota Lynx in five games. The defending champions only have one preseason game before their title defense begins against the Las Vegas Aces on May 17.
