WNBA draft second-most watched ever with 1.5M viewers

The WNBA Draft drew its second-highest television audience ever on Monday, fueled by uncertainty surrounding the No. 1 overall pick and a historic showing from newly crowned NCAA champion UCLA.

ESPN reported that 1.5 million viewers tuned in to the broadcast, marking a 20% increase from last year’s draft. Viewership peaked at 1.79 million shortly before 8 p.m. ET.

The all-time record remains the 2024 draft, which averaged 2.45 million viewers when college standouts Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were selected first and seventh overall, respectively.

This year, the Dallas Wings used the No. 1 pick to select UConn star Azzi Fudd. The franchise also held the top selection last year, when it drafted Fudd’s former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers, who later went on to win WNBA Rookie of the Year honors.

UCLA, fresh off its first NCAA championship earlier this month, set a draft milestone with five first-round selections and six total players chosen.

Lauren Betts was selected fourth overall by the Washington Mystics, followed by Gabriela Jaquez at No. 5 to the Chicago Sky. Kiki Rice went sixth to the expansion Toronto Tempo, Angela Dugalic was picked ninth by the Mystics, and Gianna Kneepkens was taken 15th by the Connecticut Sun.

Charlisse Leger-Walker rounded out UCLA’s draft class, going 18th overall as the third pick of the second round to the Sun.

-Field Level Media/Reuters