Former NFL No. 1 overall pick Cameron Newton made a surprising prediction about the WNBA and its position among the most popular sports in the United States. The 2015 NFL MVP predicted that the W will outgrow the MLB in 20 years, labeling baseball as a “dying sport.”
In a clip of his “4th and 1” show shared on Thursday, the ESPN analyst predicted that the WNBA will reach new heights in a couple of decades.
“Baseball is like a dying sport,” Newton said. “I think baseball will be surpassed by WNBA in 20 years.”
Out of all the leagues in the United States, the WNBA has huge room to improve and grow, unless a soccer phenom shows up in the near future. The W has been under the shadow of the NBA for many years, but it has experienced growth in recent years.
The 2024 season marked a big change for the competition, especially after the arrival of Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft. The Indiana Fever star led a revolution in the W after a terrific tenure in college.
She broke several records with the Iowa Hawkeyes, including the most points of all time in Division I basketball. Once she made it to the pros, her popularity continued to rise, and the league got a lot more attention from casual fans and the diehard supporters that Clark made during her collegiate career.
During Clark’s rookie year, the league saw a 170% increase in regular-season viewers compared to 2023.
Meanwhile, the MLB has been a product that’s been under heavy scrutiny in recent years after all the changes Commissioner Rob Manfred has implemented. The lack of a salary cap that has benefitted the LA Dodgers and other teams with huge checkbooks, the analytics, the pitch clock, and the lack of promotion for some of their biggest stars have rubbed people off.
Caitlin Clark broke several rating records during rookie WNBA season
Caitlin Clark was one of the most impactful rookies of all time in any competition of any sport. Her debut game drew an average of 2.1 million viewers on ESPN. Her first game against the eventual champions New York Liberty broke ABC’s viewership record with an average of 1.7 million viewers.
More than that, the Indiana Fever broke the attendance record in a single season in just 25 games with 409,217 fans attending their games.
The WNBA has a gem in their hands and it will depend on them to maximize what Clark brings to the table.
Edited by Brad Taningco
