(Bloomberg) -- Sunday’s WNBA contest between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever delivered an average of 2.3 million viewers on ESPN, according to the network, making it the most-viewed women’s pro basketball game in 23 years.

The Sky won by a point, with rookie Angel Reese, the No. 7 draft pick, scoring a career-high 25 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. She faced off against the Fever’s Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 draft pick, in a game that reprised the quarter finals of the NCAA women’s tournament in April. Clark scored 17 points and had a team record 13 assists.

This year’s WNBA rookies have attracted new fans to the league, with stars from the women’s March Madness tournament bringing their popularity to the pros. The NCAA final between Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes and the South Carolina Gamecocks was the most-watched women’s college basketball game on record, with 18.7 million viewers on average tuning in to ABC and ESPN, the league said.

The excitement has spilled over to the pros — WNBA games have registered the highest first-month attendance in 26 years, the league said. Sunday’s audience peaked at 3.3 million viewers, ESPN said.

The NBA is closing in on a new $76 billion broadcast agreement with Walt Disney Co., the parent of ESPN and ABC; NBC owner Comcast Corp.; and Amazon.com Inc. While NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has pressed for an integrated deal for both leagues, he has also suggested the WNBA could have opportunities for additional coverage, Sportico has reported.

WNBA players will have a chance to turn the newfound popularity into higher pay in November, when they can opt out of a collective-bargaining agreement struck in 2020, according to the contract.

The audience for Sunday’s game was the highest since a Memorial Day matchup in 2001, according to Sportico. The most-watched WNBA game ever was the league’s inaugural match on NBC in 1997 between the New York Liberty and the Los Angeles Sparks, which averaged 5.04 million viewers, according to Sports Media Watch. 

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.