Aces’ A’ja Wilson warns the WNBA about increasing interest ahead of the highly anticipated season.
Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson has called on her fellow WNBA players to seize the moment as the league gears up for the highly anticipated 2024 season, which begins on Tuesday. She urged them to be prepared to take full advantage of the increasing popularity and interest in women’s basketball.
In a candid conversation with Boardroom’s Vinciane Ngomsi, Wilson highlighted the importance of making a strong first impression on new fans and ensuring that the growing interest in the WNBA turns into long-term support for the league.
“We have to be ready for anything because the first impression, it has to be the best impression, when we’re talking about the WNBA,” Wilson said. “So I think for us as the W, and I’m speaking for the entire league right now which is scary, we have to really be better at being ready and in the moment.”
Wilson’s remarks come during a surge in the WNBA’s popularity, reminiscent of the NBA’s growth in the 1980s.
The league is cultivating a new generation of stars, with rookies like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Cameron Brink stepping into the spotlight alongside established players such as Wilson, Kelsey Plum, and Sabrina Ionescu. Ionescu recently highlighted her talent in a high-profile three-point contest against Stephen Curry during NBA All-Star Weekend, further drawing attention to the WNBA.
“We’re in a movement and I pray it’s a movement and not a trend because we die down very, very quickly,” Wilson said. “People lose interest; the hype rises and then drops. But with this movement, we need to do a better job of understanding what it is and being ready for it. This is the growth we’ve wanted, the growth we’ve needed, and now it’s about time.”
The growing interest in the WNBA is mirrored by the increasing financial support for women’s sports.
A prominent advocate for female athletes, Wilson has consistently emphasized the need for greater investment. At this year’s TIME100 Summit in April, she urged fans to support women’s sports financially, stressing how such support directly contributes to the league’s growth and sustainability.
“Buy that jersey. Go to that game, take someone else, put your money where your mouth is, and invest in these women,” Wilson said.
The call to action is particularly pertinent as discussions about the funding and media attention disparity between men’s and women’s sports continue to grow.
The impact of rising stars like Clark underscores the WNBA’s increasing popularity. Clark, the No. 1 draft pick by the Indiana Fever, has already proven to be a major draw for the league. The Fever announced that 36 of their 40 games will be nationally televised during the 2024 WNBA season across multiple networks, including ABC, CBS, and ESPN, marking a significant increase from the previous year. Clark’s debut is anticipated to boost viewership and attract more fans to women’s basketball.
Wilson also commented on the recent NCAA policy changes allowing college athletes to earn from their name, image, and likeness (NIL).
Reflecting on these changes, she acknowledged the financial benefits current athletes can now access, benefits that were unavailable during her college career.
“Obviously, my bank account would be the biggest difference, but I just couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that I would have an agent in college,” Wilson said. She stressed the importance of athletes staying true to their authenticity and values, particularly in sponsorship deals, and emphasized her commitment to being a role model for young Black girls.
The surge in women’s basketball popularity is prompting more companies to consider significant investments in the sport. A report from Sports Innovation Lab revealed that while 83% of brands plan to increase their investment in women’s sports by 2024, currently, only a small fraction of sports marketing budgets is allocated to women’s sports.
