The start of the WNBA season is around the corner, and there's an expectation that this season will be bringing in a ton more eyeballs than usual.
That's, of course, due to the presence of Caitlin Clark alongside a slew of other big names in this rookie class that demanded the spotlight during the NCAA March Madness Tournament; talents like Angel Reese, Kamilla Kardoso, and Nika Mühl.
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This rise in popularity has come just as the WNBA is looking to renew its media rights deal — which is currently tied in with the NBA. The league is only paid around $60 million annually for its rights deal, and it's expected to shoot up exponentially especially as the NBA is looking at a deal that will pay it more than twice as much annually as its last deal.
But while the league has already experienced a stark viewership increase over the past several years without Clark, there will be no definitive proof of the impact that this new draft class will bring in terms of ratings until the season tips off on May 14. There's also still no proof of the staying power this infusion of young star power will lend as the league goes through its negotiations.
Basketball pundit Bill Simmons sees another problem for the league that it needs to solve if it really wants to reach an optimal level of success. Speaking on "The Bill Simmons Podcast," the longtime sports personality recognizes that the league, which he admits he used to make fun of, is now on the rise but has to fix one major issue.
"WNBA — they haven't figured out the schedule," Simmons said. "I think that's the killer for them is that basically, the part that would really resonate when basketball is gone, that like eight weeks, by the time football comes back, now all of a sudden you're going against football and it just feels like the playoffs get lost."
Related: Bill Simmons is making a big change in how he's watching the March Madness tournament
He also added a few suggestions in order to try to fix it.
"I wonder if the season should start before college basketball or during college basketball and they have the hockey method where college basketball ends and the players just come right into the season," Simmons said. "Or do you stagger it where there's just two halves. There's got to be a way where the season peaks when there's no NBA, no NFL and that's how they win."
More Women’s Basketball:
- The harsh reality behind the shockingly low WNBA contracts
- Is Caitlin Clark losing money by going to the WNBA? Here are both sides of the argument
- WNBA Commissioner has big plans for the league's next media rights deal
At this point, the WNBA season starts in mid-May, right smack in the middle of the NBA Playoffs. The WNBA Playoffs, which would be the height of the viewership, comes in mid-September, which coincides with the NFL season and also eats away at viewership.
Simmons suggestions mean the WNBA would likely start in around March or April, which might be difficult considering that would overlap with March Madness. This year, Clark and Kardoso participated in the NCAA Championship Game on April 8 and a week later, on April 15, were drafted by their respective teams.
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