WNBA Draft Delivers Record Ratings

By Mike Wade, WNBA

 

NEW YORK—With the sports landscape completely barren thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the United States and most of the world, it should be no surprise that sports fans are latching on to anything to watch on television. It should come as no surprise, then, that the 2020 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm^® on ESPN was the most-watched WNBA Draft in 16 years and the second most-watched in ESPN’s history. This year’s event, which was held virtually, averaged 387,000 viewers on ESPN, up 123 percent over the 2019 Draft, and up 33 percent from the last time it aired on the network in 2011.

The 2020 Draft also made an impact across WNBA and NBA social media handles, generating 6.5 million video views (up 165 percent vs. last year) and 1.3 million minutes watched (up 237 percent vs. last year). In addition, the @WNBA Instagram handle had its highest year-over-year growth, generating more than 3.8 million video views on Draft Day.

Unanimous National Player of the Year Sabrina Ionescu of Oregon was selected by the New York Liberty with the first overall pick of the 2020 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm^®. Ionescu, a three-time Nancy Lieberman Award winner as the nation’s top point guard, averaged 17.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and an NCAA-leading 9.1 assists as a senior. She holds the NCAA record for career triple-doubles and is the only NCAA woman or man to reach 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists.  

Before the start of the draft, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert named Alyssa Altobelli, Gianna Bryant and Payton Chester as honorary draft picks. The Mamba Sports Academy teammates, who played on a youth basketball team coached by Kobe Bryant, tragically passed away in a helicopter accident in January.

Also, the WNBA introduced the Kobe & Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award, a new annual honor that will recognize an individual or group who has made significant contributions to the visibility, perception and advancement of women’s and girls’ basketball at all levels. The award will carry on Kobe’ legacy of advocacy and Gigi’s passion for the sport.

 #wnba / @wnba / #espn / @espn

Fogarty, Gibson Awarded

Fogarty

HARTFORD/BRIDGEPORT—While the coronavirus pandemic has shut down the American Hockey Ldague (and all professional sports) for the foreseeable future, Connecticut's two AHL teams made important announcements today.

Gibson

The Hartford Wolf Pack announced that Steven Fogarty has been named the team’s winner of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the Hartford community during the 2019-20 season.

Fogarty, a 6-3 forward from Chambersburg, PA, is one of the Wolf Pack’s most popular players on and off the ice. The 27-year-old Fogarty skated for Notre Dame as a collegian, and is the Wolf Pack’s captain, known for his calm, friendly demeanor towards fans, and is always willing to participate in efforts to help the community. Fogarty has attended several fan-related events, volunteered his time at shelters, youth programs such as Police Athletic League (PAL), the annual Bowl-a-Thon for Special Olympics and many other community initiatives.

Throughout the 2019-20 campaign, Fogarty has been strongly involved in youth/school reading programs, has made several hospital visits at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and has been a leader behind the commitment and participation of Wolf Pack players at community and team events.

About an hour south, goaltender Christopher Gibson was named the Bridgeport Sound Tigers’ IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year winner.

Gibson, 27, exemplifies what it means to be active and devoted to the community. The seventh-year pro and longtime Sound Tigers netminder continues to build on his outstanding community efforts from his first four seasons in Bridgeport.

Gibson, who hails from Karkkila, Finland was involved in nearly a dozen programs during the 2019-20 season and was a staple of community outreach in the Greater Bridgeport area, helping in all areas from visits to both Bridgeport Hospital and Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, a Christmas toy drive, countless elementary school appearances, a food and coat drive with the Bridgeport Rescue Mission, and a trip to the local veteran’s hospital in West Haven.

Gibson has become one of the most popular players in Sound Tigers history, and again this season he frequently gave up a day off during the week to lend a hand to folks who needed a smile. This is the first time he has received the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award.

Both Fogarty and Gibson are both finalists for the AHL’s 2019-20 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, honoring the overall IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year. The league award is named after the former Hershey Bears forward and AHL All-Star who died in 1997 following a 16-month battle with leukemia. The winner will be announced at a later date.

Hockey League (and all professional sports) for the foreseeable future, Connecticut’s two teams made two important announcements today.

—Staff Reports

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