It could be a coincidence. It could be for some other reason. But the facts of the matter are that A'ja Wilson was picked No. 1 overall in the WNBA draft this past Thursday, and more people watched that happen than any other previous draft since 2014.
ESPN, which broadcast the first round of the draft on ESPN2 and the second and third on ESPNU, released its viewership numbers on Monday. Across the board, the TV ratings were up, with an average of 308,000 people watching the first round and 110,000 watching the next two. That combined average of 212,000 was a 25 percent increase from last year's draft.