WNBA All-Star Game shatters ratings record set in 2003

The game showcased a lineup of current and future Hall of Fame members, such as Dawn Staley, Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper, Lisa Leslie, and Sue Bird.

Last year's game, which was also broadcast in primetime on ABC, drew an audience of 850,000 viewers. The surge in interest in the WNBA and game attendance this year can be attributed to the addition of a standout rookie class, which includes players like Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky.

The remarkable viewership over the weekend highlights the significant growth of women's sports, and ESPN is honored to feature this exceptional league and its talented athletes on such a prominent platform, stated Julie Sobieski, ESPN's senior vice president of league programming and acquisitions, as reported by The Athletic.

According to Sports Media Watch, the All-Star Game marked the most-watched WNBA event since the league's inaugural week of play in June 1997, with the first game in league history attracting 5.04 million viewers. The following day, 3.59 million people tuned in.

The Athletic noted that the All-Star Game was the 17th WNBA game this year to surpass one million viewers, with Caitlin Clark appearing in 15 of those games. It had been 16 years since a WNBA game had garnered over 1 million viewers.