According to the WNBA, this season’s viewership has tripled from an average of 462,000 viewers the previous year to 1.32 million viewers this year. Photo courtesy of CNN.
DOROTHY LAKSHMANAMURTHY | STAFF REPORTER | dlakshmanamurthy@butler.edu
Overtime, or “OT,” is an opinion column series where the Collegian takes national sports headlines or polarizing topics and gives them a Butler-centric angle.
Tensions have only grown higher as the remaining WNBA teams compete for this season’s championship title and players await the announcement of the end-of-season awards. The Olympic break pushed the season later than usual, so announcement dates for each of the awards is not definite.
With a front-row view behind the camera lens, Sierra Borkowski, a senior sports media and creative media and entertainment double major, observes the vibrant crowds of fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse while working for the Indiana Fever in camera operations. Borkowski has witnessed the stands of 18,000 seats filled as 16 out of the 20 home games this season were complete sellouts.
However, after speaking to her coworkers who had worked with the team before, Borkowski was shocked to hear that the arena only had about 4,000 people attend per game the previous year.
“They said almost no one came to these games,” Borkowski said. “There were blackout curtains in the upper sections to cover the empty seats. Now, the building is so loud with fans and these players are finally getting the recognition they deserve. We see this replicated in other arenas all around. It proves that this season is historic for the WNBA.”
As the official WNBA awards start to be announced, these specific players excelled at a high enough level to make it on my awards ballot:
Caitlin Clark: Rookie of the Year
From the get-go, all eyes were on Clark. She drew attention playing at the University of Iowa where she broke several NCAA records. Clark ended her college career with an all-time scoring record of 3,951 points, 1,144 career assists and 990 career rebounds.
Now amid her first WNBA season as the starting point guard for the Fever, Clark has made a name for herself on the court once again. The number one overall pick has achieved her title of Rookie of the Year — announced this past Sunday — through a successful season of obtaining various records: the single-season record of 337 assists, single-season rookie scoring record of 769 points and the first rookie to record a triple-double.
Clark is also frequently credited with the increase in viewership of the WNBA. Junior sports media and strategic communications major Kamille Wilson expresses her gratitude for Clark’s contributions to women’s sports.
“The hype that Clark has brought in and all the love that Fever has been receiving makes my heart so happy for women,” Wilson said. “Seeing Indianapolis busy and booming for every home game is so amazing, and Clark has been a crucial part of that.”
Despite Clark’s influence on the sport, Wilson believes Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese also had a strong chance as a contender for Rookie of The Year until her hand fracture during the Sept. 6 game against the Los Angeles Sparks caused her to sit out for the season.
“Reese’s injury definitely stopped that opportunity, which sucks,” Wilson said. “It’s sad because I do like the rivalry the media creates between Reese and Clark. They build off of each other’s hype. In my opinion, that helps and motivates them more to keep making history.”
DiJonai Carrington: Most Improved Player
With this award being more of a toss-up — given that a number of players like Alanna Smith, Jordan Horston and Sabrina Ionescu were in the running — Adam Good, adjunct of communication and media studies, explains that the Most Improved Player Award is complicated to determine.
“Choosing who is most improved is tough because there are so many factors that play into it,” Good said. “Skylar Diggins-Smith on Seattle could be most improved because she took a year off and came back, but then [again] she has been awesome forever. This award is always a hard one to judge.”
As the Connecticut Sun point guard, Carrington has made a substantial step this year that would make her the perfect fit for this award.
Currently in her fourth season, Carrington has solidified herself as a full-time starter for the first time in her WNBA career. She has made a significant jump from last year’s stats of 8.3 points, 0.6 steals and 2.9 rebounds per game, to now averaging 12.7 points, 1.6 steals and 5 rebounds per game.
Connecticut head coach Stephanie White noted prior to the team’s Sept. 19. game against Chicago many great defensive players take a break on offense, but Carrington does not rest and still performs at her best.
Napheesa Collier: Best Defensive Player
The Minnesota Lynx forward has been a strong defensive player, which Borkowski notices is a key factor to Minnesota’s success this season.
“Minnesota is kind of a weak spot for teams like [the] Fever because of their defense,” Borkowski said. “They have a really good defensive game plan, and I think it has a lot to do with their defensive players, like Collier, who can really compete, stop the scores, slow down the pace of play and get the ball back. Minnesota is not a team that the people should want to see in the finals, that’s for sure.”
Collier has finished the regular season with a defensive rating of 91.1, a top mark in the league. She averaged 20.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals.
Leonie Fiebich: Sixth Player of the Year
As a rookie, the New York Liberty’s forward was not on anyone’s radar. However, with a few of New York’s starters in and out of the lineup, Fiebich showed up for her team in their absences.
Out of all WNBA players, Fiebich has the seventh-highest plus-minus differential, and she averages 6.7 points per game, which is notable considering she comes off the bench.
Good has come across many people choosing Las Vegas Aces guard Tiffany Hayes for this award, but still believes Fiebich is the right choice.
“I think Hayes is a fine choice, but Fiebich would be my pick if I could vote,” Good said. “They both are valuable players on both ends of the court. Fiebich’s defense does stand out to me though, and she has been really tough.”
In the postseason, Fiebich was called into the starting lineup over five-time all-star Courtney Vandersloot for New York’s first game against Atlanta Dream. This game resulted in an 83-69 win for New York, in which Fiebich had a career-high contribution of 21 points.
A’ja Wilson: Most Valuable Player
In Wilson’s seven-year WNBA career, she has received the MVP award twice: in 2020 and 2022. Now receiving the award for the third time, Wilson joins only three other players who have achieved this status: Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson.
The Las Vegas center proves herself worthy of that title by setting the single-season rebound record and becoming the first player to score 1000 points in a season. She averages 26.9 points per game and is on a streak of contributing double-digit scoring efforts for a consecutive 50 games.
Kamille Wilson expresses that Wilson’s record stats and leading contributions for her team have set her up for the MVP spot.
“A’ja Wilson has been a top player for a while, but this year she has really made me consider her to be the best the league has ever seen,” Wilson said. “She has been leading in every aspect of the game and continues to do it throughout the season. She is 100% MVP this year.”
Regardless of who takes home the championship win and individual awards, there is no denying that this WNBA season has been record-breaking and significant for all players in the league.
“People are watching the WNBA to see specific players,” Borkowski said. “But they’re staying because they are finding out about all these other talented teams and players that they didn’t know about before.”
