The 2024 season continues to be a historic one for the WNBA.
Spurred by impressive campaigns from rookies and veterans alike, the league is hitting new heights. More fans are flocking to the W than ever before, a fact reflected in the league's All-Star Game voting.
Young stars Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Angel Reese were among the most popular vote-getters in 2024, garnering hundreds of thousands of signatures in this year's electoral cycle.
MORE: Complete look at 2024 WNBA All-Star roster
If that seems like a lot, it is. The fifth-most popular All-Star candidate this year, Reese, nabbed nearly as many votes as the top five vote-getters from last year combined.
THIS IS INSANE !! 😱#WNBA #WNBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/GMKY2xkC80
— Vanshay Murdock 🎥🎥 (@VanshayM) July 3, 2024
The final numbers, revealed by the WNBA after announcing the All-Star roster Tuesday night, reinforced a new truth: The WNBA is more popular than ever before.
The fan vote for the 2024 All-Star team this year helped to decide the 12-player roster for Team WNBA, which will take on Team USA's 5v5 Olympic basketball team in the annual showcase.
The vote total for the top five players increased by almost 600% from 2023 to 2024.
The top five players on the 2023 All-Star ballot — A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Brittney Griner, Boston and Jackie Young — received a total of 391,639 votes in 2023. By comparison, the top five from the 2024 season — Clark, Boston, Wilson, Stewart and Reese — racked up 2,732,638 votes.
MORE: Explaining the relationship between Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston
Clark and Reese are among the biggest reasons why, as the rookie stars are turning the hardwood into their playhouse as we approach the midpoint of the season. Both have made history in their debut seasons, with Clark inching ever so close to the first rookie triple-double and Reese recording a single-season record 11 straight double-doubles.
They're not the only ones, however. Wilson is putting on a clinic, averaging 26.9 points a night. Napheesa Collier is on her tail in the MVP race, leading the Lynx to the third-best record in women's basketball while averaging 20.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
MORE: Everything you need to know about WNBA All-Star 2024
Fueled by a matchup with Clark's Fever, the Mercury's Diana Taurasi appeared on more television screens than she ever has in a single game during her glittering 20-year playing career. A reported 1.93 million people tuned in Sunday to see a battle of basketball titans at the guard position.
All of that is to say, the W is in a good place. With an eye-catching matchup between Team WNBA and Team USA brewing — one that will see Clark and Reese team up with one another for the first time — expect those gains to get even larger, too.
