The 2024 WNBA season was a landmark yr, marked by record-breaking performances, vital milestones, and the New York Liberty’s historic championship victory.
Right here’s an in-depth take a look at the important thing statistics, data set, and the Liberty’s journey to their first-ever title.
File-Breaking Particular person Performances
A number of gamers delivered standout performances that redefined excellence within the league:
Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx): Collier emerged as a dominant drive, averaging practically 30 factors per recreation within the postseason, together with a outstanding 42-point recreation within the first spherical. Her scoring prowess and defensive acumen earned her the 2024 Defensive Participant of the 12 months award.
Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty): Ionescu led the league with a median of 20.7 factors per recreation within the playoffs, taking pictures a powerful 46% from past the arc. Her playmaking and scoring have been pivotal within the Liberty’s offensive success.
Jonquel Jones (New York Liberty): Jones was instrumental within the Liberty’s championship run, averaging 17.8 factors and seven.6 rebounds within the Finals. Her effectivity and clutch performances earned her the Finals MVP honors.
A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces):
- Scoring File: Wilson set a brand new single-season scoring report with 1,021 factors, surpassing Diana Taurasi’s earlier mark. She additionally led the league with a median of 26.9 factors per recreation.
- Rebounding and Blocking: She recorded 451 rebounds and 98 blocks, each single-season data, showcasing her dominance on each ends of the court docket.
- MVP Honors: Wilson earned her third MVP award, changing into the second participant in WNBA historical past to win the award unanimously.
Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever):
- Help Information: In her rookie season, Clark set single-game and season data for assists, with 19 assists in a single recreation and 337 over the season.
- Rookie Milestones: She averaged 19.2 factors, 5.7 rebounds, and eight.4 assists per recreation, setting new rookie data. Clark additionally made 122 three-pointers, essentially the most by a rookie in a single season.
- All-WNBA First Workforce: Clark grew to become the primary rookie since 2008 to be named to the All-WNBA First Workforce.
Angel Reese (Chicago Sky):
- Rebounding File: Reese set a brand new single-season rebounding report, averaging 13.1 rebounds per recreation.
- All-Star Choice: Regardless of lacking the final six video games because of harm, Reese’s efficiency earned her an All-Star look in her rookie season.
Tina Charles (Atlanta Dream):
- Profession Milestones: Charles grew to become the WNBA’s all-time chief in rebounds and double-doubles, solidifying her legacy as one of many league’s premier submit gamers.
Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings):
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- Minutes Performed: Ogunbowale set a brand new report for minutes per recreation, highlighting her endurance and significance to the Wings’ lineup
Workforce Milestones
The season witnessed groups reaching new heights:
- New York Liberty: The Liberty clinched their first WNBA championship in franchise historical past, overcoming previous near-misses and establishing themselves as a powerhouse within the league.
- Minnesota Lynx: Defying preseason expectations, the Lynx completed second within the league and set a franchise report for wins. Their resilience and workforce unity have been evident all through the season and playoffs.
The Liberty’s Championship Journey
The New York Liberty’s path to their inaugural championship was marked by willpower and key performances:
- Common Season: The Liberty secured the highest seed with a 32–8 report, showcasing constant excellence and incomes home-court benefit all through the playoffs.
- Playoff Run:
- First Spherical: The Liberty swept the Atlanta Dream 2–0, demonstrating their dominance early within the postseason.
- Semifinals: They confronted the Las Vegas Aces, profitable the sequence 3–1 to advance to the Finals.
- WNBA Finals In opposition to the Minnesota Lynx:
- Sport 1: The Lynx secured a 95–93 additional time victory, showcasing their resilience.
- Sport 2: The Liberty bounced again with an 80–66 win, leveling the sequence.
- Sport 3: A slender 80–77 victory gave the Liberty a 2–1 sequence lead.
- Sport 4: The Lynx compelled a decisive Sport 5 with an 82–80 win.
- Sport 5: In an exciting additional time battle, the Liberty triumphed 67–62, clinching their first championship.
Key Statistics from the Finals
- Jonquel Jones: Averaged 17.8 factors and seven.6 rebounds per recreation within the Finals, incomes the Finals MVP award.
- Sabrina Ionescu: Regardless of a high-grade UCL tear in her taking pictures hand throughout the Finals, Ionescu contributed considerably with rebounds, assists, and defensive performs, showcasing her resilience and management.
- Nyara Sabally: Supplied an important prompt the bench in Sport 5, scoring 13 factors and including six rebounds, two blocks, and a steal in a career-high 17 minutes, taking part in a pivotal position within the Liberty’s victory.
Legacy of the 2024 WNBA Season
The 2024 season was a testomony to the expansion and competitiveness of the WNBA.
The New York Liberty’s championship run, marked by resilience and key contributions from each stars and position gamers, shall be remembered as a defining second within the league’s historical past. Because the WNBA continues to evolve, the data set and milestones achieved this season set a excessive bar for future excellence.
Viewership Progress
The 2024 WNBA season witnessed unprecedented development in viewership, considerably influenced by the arrival of rookie sensation Caitlin Clark.
File-Breaking Viewership:
- General Enhance: The league attracted over 54 million distinctive viewers throughout networks reminiscent of ABC, CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, Ion, and NBA TV throughout the common season, marking the most-watched season in 24 years.
- Community Highlights:
- ESPN: Averaged 1.2 million viewers per recreation, a 170% enhance from the earlier yr.
- CBS: Noticed an 86% rise, averaging 1.1 million viewers.
- Ion Tv: Skilled a 133% enhance, with 670,000 common viewers.
The ‘Caitlin Clark Impact’
Caitlin Clark’s entry into the WNBA had a profound affect on the league’s reputation:
- Sport Viewership: Video games that includes Clark and the Indiana Fever constantly drew massive audiences. Notably, a Liberty-Fever regular-season recreation averaged 1.87 million viewers on CBS, rating because the fifth-largest WNBA viewers previously 23 years.
- All-Star Voting: Clark obtained over 700,000 fan votes for the WNBA All-Star Sport, surpassing the mixed complete of the highest 5 vote-getters from the earlier yr.
- Merchandise Gross sales: The league’s official on-line retailer set a brand new report for single-season gross sales, with transactions up 756% in comparison with the identical interval final yr, pushed partially by Clark’s reputation.
Clark’s dynamic taking part in fashion and collegiate success attracted a brand new wave of followers, elevating the WNBA’s profile and contributing to its historic 2024 season.
A sports-journalist & Las Vegas native, Thomas lives for skilled basketball, NFL, faculty soccer and Ice-Hockey. When he isn’t watching sports activities (or analyzing sports activities knowledge), he can normally be discovered studying a e book in a secluded nook.
