WNBA All-Star Weekend Signals League’s Growth, Delivers Action

WNBA All-Star weekend signaled the halfway point of a landmark season—and it also provided a snapshot of the league’s monumental rise.

The game featured the 2024 rookie class that has been credited for much of the league’s newfound attention, and its two biggest names and rivals—Caitlin Clark (above, left) and Angel Reese (above, right)—were on the same side for the first time.

The WNBA has had 16 games average more than one million viewers this season, already more than the league’s single-season record. All but two of those games featured Clark and the Fever, while the two most-watched contests were between the Fever and Reese’s Sky.

The game’s success also comes on the heels of the report that the WNBA’s media-rights deal is expected to be worth $2.2 billion over 11 years, or about $200 million annually. That annual figure would be worth more than three times the estimated $60 million per year the league’s currently receiving from ESPN, Amazon, CBS, and Ion. However, the WNBA agreement is still tied to the $75 billion deal that the NBA is finalizing with ESPN, ABC, and Amazon.

“I haven’t been shy in saying we’ve been preparing for this moment for many years, saying how important media deals are to the growth and the future of this league, and these deals will be historic and a significant step forward,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said before the All-Star Game.

An All-Star Game Worth Watching

While the rookies were the center of attention, both teams delivered on the court. This year’s format pitted USA’s Olympics roster against a select group of WNBA talents, many of whom were essentially Team USA snubs.

Clark’s highly publicized omission from this year’s roster was met with a ton of criticism in the media, but Team WNBA also included former MVP Nneka Ogwumike and Arike Ogunbowale, whose USA roster exclusions have been discussed well before this season.

Before the game, Team WNBA coach Cheryl Miller admitted her players wanted “to beat the brakes” off Team USA. Her team ended up winning, 117–109, led by All-Star MVP Ogunbowale, who scored 34 points. Clark finished with 10 assists, a rookie record in the All-Star Game, while Reese had a double double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Take Note, NBA

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has tried and mostly failed to make his league’s All-Star Game competitive, but Saturday’s WNBA showcase could provide a blueprint for the NBA.

The timing might be tricky for the NBA, as the USA roster would not be set by its All-Star Game normally scheduled in February. But the option to capitalize on competitiveness, especially following Celtics star Jaylen Brown’s comments about being snubbed from this year’s roster, could be worth consideration given the WNBA’s proof of concept. 

It wouldn’t be the first time the NBA took inspiration from the WNBA. The WNBA’s regular-season tournament, the Commissioner’s Cup, started in 2021, and the NBA adopted it in ’23.