Paige Bueckers’ WNBA debut drives huge ratings bump

Folks already know about Caitlin Clark's popularity, but the WNBA might have discovered its newest television ratings bump in 2025 top overall draft pick Paige Bueckers.

According to a report from Front Office Sports, Friday's opening-night game between Bueckers' Dallas Wings and the Minnesota Lynx, coupled with the back-half of that doubleheader, averaged over 612,000 viewers, which was a 121 percent increase over a comparable window from the previous season.

Due to the Clark effect, Ion's 43 games broadcasted last year averaged 677,000 viewers, a 133 percent increase from 2023 -- before Clark's rookie season with the Indiana Fever.

But removing Clark games from the equation, Friday's two broadcasts -- the late contest was the first game for the expansion Golden State Valkyries vs. the Los Angeles Sparks -- were the second- and third-most watched games ever on Ion, per Sports Media Watch. Ion announced on Tuesday the viewership was 649,000 for Lynx-Wings and 581,000 for Sparks-Valykyries.

Bueckers was a three-time All-American at the University of Connecticut and the national player of the year in 2021. She had career averages of 19.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.1 steals for the Huskies, becoming the sixth UConn player to be selected first in the WNBA draft.

The rookie finished with 10 points and seven rebounds in 30 minutes for the Wings in a 99-84 home loss.