WNBA All-Star Voting Explodes In Caitlin Clark's Rookie Season!
If one wanted yet another indication of the explosion in popularity the WNBA is currently experiencing, they need look no further than the early All-Star voting returns.
A side-by-side comparison of the equivalent 2023 results shows that A'ja Wilson, who was also in first then, has received 6x more support so far. While the second slot, occupied by Caitlin Clark, is up nearly 7x over Breanna Stewart's tally from last year.
PEEP THIS!!
— Vanshay Murdock 🎥🎥 (@VanshayM) June 21, 2024
Look at the MASSIVE increase in all-star
fan voting this year😟😟😟
Left: 2023 first round of fan returns
Right: 2024 first round of fan returns
THE GAME HAS GROWN📈📈📈📈#WNBA pic.twitter.com/MlgeFjR2Ek
Obviously Clark's presence has been the catalyst for the explosion in popularity, and it hardly feels like coincidence that three of her Indiana Fever teammates are in the top 20 in voting, with Aliyah Boston placing third with almost 5x as many votes as first place had in 2023.
Caitlin Clark and the Fever helped yet another network to a viewership record Wednesday night.
— Sports Media Watch (@paulsen_smw) June 21, 2024
WNBA games have set network records 11 times this season, with Clark and the Fever involved in ten. https://t.co/O5Swq0A6Px
Ratings, attendance and every other metric are up huge thanks in large part to Clark. But the Las Vegas Aces also became the first franchise in history to sell out every home game. And non CC contests have also seen an uptick in viewership, with the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx setting a ratings record for CBS, that was eventually eclipsed by the game between the Fever and Chicago Sky.
The rising tide is impossible to deny. And if voting is any indication, interest in the All-Star game will be sky high, with fans tuning in to see what is shaping up to be Caitlin Clark leading Team WNBA against the Paris Olympics squad representing Team USA in Phoenix. And yes, it will be in front of another sold out crowd.
Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!