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The WNBA will look to continue to ride the momentum of its steady rise when it unfurls its 29th season in May.
The league reached unprecedented heights last season with record numbers in viewership, ticket sales and merchandise sales. The arrival of the 2024 draft class of Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese and Los Angeles Sparks center Cameron Brink, among others, helped push the needle for the WNBA.
The continued growth of the WNBA has been a feel-good story over the years, as female players are finally getting their due and the exposure they've long been clamoring for.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese team up at the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game.Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The league's popularity has also spilled over to the college game and vice versa, making women's basketball even bigger.
On the "Best of Both Worlds With Flau'jae" podcast of LSU star Flau'jae Johnson, ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson hailed the ascent of the women's game and pointed out something very important.
"What I've seen from the last five to seven years, it wasn't just Caitlin Clark, it wasn't just Angel Reese, it wasn't just that group," said Jefferson. "This has been building for years."
"Then we see this burst, you know. Young players like you coming up, the growth of seeing South Carolina do what they do, seeing LSU, seeing so much of the evolution of the women's game."
Clark and Reese, who played with Johnson on the Tigers, would be the first to admit that many legends before them paved the way and helped shape the WNBA to what it is today.
Jefferson, who won a title with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, also defended so-called casual fans, saying the more they come, the better it is for women's basketball.
"I've seen more and more casual fans having interest in the college game and the women's game," noted the former forward.
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The league reached unprecedented heights last season with record numbers in viewership, ticket sales and merchandise sales. The arrival of the 2024 draft class of Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese and Los Angeles Sparks center Cameron Brink, among others, helped push the needle for the WNBA.
The continued growth of the WNBA has been a feel-good story over the years, as female players are finally getting their due and the exposure they've long been clamoring for.
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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese team up at the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game.Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The league's popularity has also spilled over to the college game and vice versa, making women's basketball even bigger.
On the "Best of Both Worlds With Flau'jae" podcast of LSU star Flau'jae Johnson, ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson hailed the ascent of the women's game and pointed out something very important.
"What I've seen from the last five to seven years, it wasn't just Caitlin Clark, it wasn't just Angel Reese, it wasn't just that group," said Jefferson. "This has been building for years."
"Then we see this burst, you know. Young players like you coming up, the growth of seeing South Carolina do what they do, seeing LSU, seeing so much of the evolution of the women's game."
Clark and Reese, who played with Johnson on the Tigers, would be the first to admit that many legends before them paved the way and helped shape the WNBA to what it is today.
Jefferson, who won a title with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, also defended so-called casual fans, saying the more they come, the better it is for women's basketball.
"I've seen more and more casual fans having interest in the college game and the women's game," noted the former forward.
Related: Another Legendary Athlete Reacts to Sharp Comments Against Caitlin Clark
Related: WNBA Facing Backlash for Post That Included Angel Reese
Related: WNBA Facing Backlash for Post That Included Angel Reese
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