Candace Parker, a retired WNBA star, recently shared her thoughts on the league’s recent surge in viewership during an interview on the Bloomberg Original podcast, The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly. She pointed out that the increased visibility of women’s sports, particularly basketball, was long overdue.
Parker criticized the networks for their previous lack of interest in broadcasting women’s games, referencing how the Women’s NCAA game was often neglected until Caitlin Clark reached the championship game. According to Parker, it was only when the game was finally aired on ABC that the true potential of women’s sports was recognized, highlighting the missed opportunity of years of limited exposure on platforms like ESPN.
The WNBA has experienced unprecedented growth in viewership recently, with the 2024 season marking the highest viewership in the league’s history. A significant contributor to this success has been the rise of players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Cameron Brink, who have attracted a larger fanbase. The 2024 season saw a 170% increase in viewership compared to 2023, a remarkable achievement for the league. Notably, 32 WNBA broadcasts during the season attracted over one million viewers each, with 22 of those games airing on ESPN platforms, further emphasizing the increasing appeal of women’s basketball.
Even when star players like Brink were unavailable due to injuries, the WNBA continued to see higher viewership numbers. The 2024 WNBA Finals, featuring the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty, achieved the highest ratings in 25 years, growing 115% from the previous year. This significant spike in viewership, even without the full participation of all top players, demonstrates that the WNBA has built a loyal and expanding audience.
Parker also offered advice for the league to further capitalize on its growing popularity. She suggested that the WNBA should avoid scheduling conflicts with other major leagues, particularly the NBA and NFL, as these clashes could prevent games from reaching their full potential audience. By securing more strategic time slots and advocating for better scheduling, Parker believes the WNBA could continue to attract viewers and build its fanbase, ensuring the momentum of the league’s rise does not slow down.
Parker, who announced her retirement in April 2024, reflected on her legendary career, which included winning three championships with three different teams. She became the first player to achieve this feat, having won titles with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2016, the Chicago Sky in 2021, and the Las Vegas Aces in 2023. Despite retiring, Parker remains passionate about the game and believes that the WNBA’s current rise in popularity is a positive step forward for women’s sports, with much more potential still to be realized.
