A lot of eyes were on the WNBA draft last night, as Iowa Hawkeyes star and the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer Caitlin Clark was selected first round by the Indiana Fever. According to The Washington Post, the “Clark effect” is driving ticket sales for the Fever and the national broadcast schedule will feature 36 of the Fever’s 40 games. Over the last several months, viewership and interest in the women’s game has skyrocketed. The WNBA’s 2024 season tips off on May 14th.
If you would like more context on this matter, please consider Lisa Delpy Neirotti, the director of the MS in Sport Management Program and an associate professor of Sport Management at the George Washington University. She has been a professor of sport, event and tourism management at GW for more than 30 years. Beyond her responsibilities at GW, Dr. Delpy Neirotti works with a number of sport event organizations, sponsors, and professional teams to conduct economic and market research studies including the Olympic Games, World Cup, College Football Bowl Games, among others.
Neirotti has been following the growth and explosion of interest in women’s basketball this season. She can discuss the attention of this year’s draft and whether this momentum in viewership and fandom in women’s basketball will carry on into the professional season when it starts in May. She can also discuss how this explosion of interest might impact NIL deals for college players heading into next season.
If you would like to speak with Professor Delpy Neirotti, please contact Media Relations Specialist Cate Douglass at [email protected].
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