For the W

“The simplest way to put it is that it was a hockey-stick year in the WNBA. The league’s network partners (ESPN/ABC, CBS, and Ion) saw high-double- and triple-digit increases in viewership this season, and it was the W’s most-watched regular season on ESPN platforms ever. Indiana’s Clark and Chicago’s Reese are behind much of that tidal wave: A June 23 game between the Fever and the Sky was the most-viewed WNBA game on ESPN in 23 years, and Clark played in 19 of the record-breaking 22 regular-season game telecasts that averaged at least million viewers this season.” Sure, there have been many growing pains as chronicled in this piece, but the rise of the WNBA (and women’s sports more broadly) has been inspiring. Emma Carmichael in GQ: How the WNBA Became the Most Fun, Complicated, and Exciting League in Sports.