The Indiana Fever, led by rookie sensation Caitlin Clark, played a pivotal role in this surge. Clark, who won the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award, helped the Fever set a single-season home attendance record of 340,715 fans, surpassing the previous record set by the New York Liberty in 2001. Three games involving the Fever drew over 20,000 fans, including a record 20,711 when the Fever visited the Washington Mystics on September 19.
In terms of viewership, the WNBA also achieved historic numbers. The 2024 regular season was the most-watched on ESPN platforms in 24 years, with an average of 1.19 million viewers, a 170% increase from last season. CBS Sports and NBA TV also saw significant increases in viewership, with several games breaking previous viewing records.
Top Performers:
- Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever) - 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year
- Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty) - Key player in the Liberty's strong season
- Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx) - Leading the Lynx with 20.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game
- A'ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) - Defensive Player of the Year and key contributor to the Aces