Bridget Carleton happy to be part of WNBA 'wave' of excitement and success
Bridget Carleton was in Minneapolis this summer when a WNBA fan stopped her on the street. The fan rolled up a sleeve to reveal a tattoo of Carleton's name and her Minnesota Lynx jersey number on their arm.
For the Canadian, it was just another example of the league's growing popularity in its most successful season ever.
"The passion these fans have, it's been a lot of fun," said Carleton of the fan's ink. "I feel like, especially in women's sports, fans can be connected to us on a different level because we put ourselves out there.
"We try to show our personalities, be more than just the athletes we are. I think that's what's special about it and they get to know us."
The WNBA reached new highs in 2024 on and off the court.
It started with a hotly anticipated draft where NCAA scoring sensation Caitlin Clark was selected first overall by the Indiana Fever. The Chicago Sky took rebounding wiz Angel Reese seventh overall in that same draft, which American sports broadcaster ESPN said averaged 2.4 million viewers, up 328 per cent over 2023 to become the most-viewed WNBA draft ever.
May's announcement of a new franchise based in Toronto generated more buzz in Canada before the WNBA's season had begun.
Although the as-yet-unnamed Toronto franchise won't play until 2026, the WNBA reports regular-season viewership in Canada was up 148 per cent year over year.
The second annual WNBA Canada Game a pre-season exhibition held on May 5 in Edmonton, featured a sellout crowd for the second consecutive year. Viewership of the second Canada Game was up 65 per cent in Canada over the 2023 edition in Toronto.
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