SEATTLE — The WNBA Draft took place Monday night as Caitlin Clark and other rising young stars continue to increase the popularity of women's basketball and women's sports across the region.
“Seattle, unlike many other cities, is now viewed as the epicenter of women's sports,” said Jen Burns, CEO and founder of Rough and Tumble.
Burns opened the pub to bring women's sports to a wider audience. And now, more than a year after opening her practice, her dream is becoming a reality.
“People who never watched women's basketball before are now watching women's basketball,” Burns said.
And the numbers back it up. About 14.8 million people watched last Monday's NCAA men's championship game, according to Nielsen. But the day before, about 18.9 million people tuned in to watch the women's national championship. This is about double the number of people who watched last year's women's final.
“It's packed. There's a line the whole block long to get in. I think it was for the Final Four, but once people were seated there was a seven-page waiting list,” Burns said. Ta.
She said a lot of it has to do with Clark and other high-profile players in the women's game.
“We're excited about the direction of our game and the momentum we have right now,” Seattle Storm general manager Talitha Rea said.
Rea said the Clark effect is real. Single-game tickets for the Storm went on sale Monday, and fans opened up their wallets to see Clark when the Storm took on his new team, the Indiana Fever.
Fans will have a chance to see Clark at Climate Pledge Arena on May 22nd and June 27th.
“We had the best opening day in franchise history, especially against Indiana, where the lower bowl was sold out and we opened up the upper bowl, so we're really excited,” Rea said.
Storm training camp is scheduled to take place in the coming weeks at a new training facility in Seattle's Interbay neighborhood.
The Storm's first home game will be May 14 against the Minnesota Lynx.
