WNBA All-Star ratings down 36 percent, still 2nd-most watched

The ratings for Saturday's WNBA All-Star Game on ABC were down 36 percent from the previous year but still drew the second-most viewers in the showcase's history.

The contest in Indianapolis drew 2.19 million viewers according to Front Office Sports, down from a record 3.44 million last year. It still was the most-watched program of the night across the television landscape, per ESPN.

One glaring reason for the discrepancy is that Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was on the court for the 2024 All-Star Game and on the bench with a groin injury this year.

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier scored a record 36 points Saturday to lead her Team Collier to a 151-131 victory over Team Clark.

This is the third straight year ABC aired the All-Star Game in primetime on Saturday. The 2023 game drew 850,000 viewers.

All-Star weekend's other events were a hit. Friday's WNBA Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest drew an average of 1.3 million viewers on ESPN, up a whopping 89 percent over last year.

--Field Level Media