INDIANAPOLIS ― For the WNBA, it just worked out that the NBA All-Star Game site and the team with the WNBA No. 1 pick are in the same city.
Indianapolis was awarded the 2024 NBA All-Star Game in 2020 — the city was supposed to host the game in 2021, but it was moved to Atlanta because of COVID-19. Then, the Indiana Fever won the No. 1 pick in the draft in December 2023.
It was a serendipitous moment. But it was also one that worked out perfectly for the WNBA’s new marketing strategy.
“That’s a marketer’s dream,” WNBA Chief Marketing Officer Phil Cook said in an interview with IndyStar. “It’s not brain surgery, I didn’t have to think long and hard about that.”
Cook joined the WNBA as the league’s first CMO in 2020, tasked with bringing more fans to the game. So far, it’s worked — the 2023 WNBA season was the most-watched season in 21 years, the league announced in September.
But with one of the most popular draft classes in WNBA history (possibly including Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese and Cameron Brink), the league sees more potential to bring the average NCAA women’s basketball fan to the WNBA.
More: ‘She’s a generational player.’ How Caitlin Clark could fit Indiana Fever’s lineup.
“If we can do an amazing job of bringing the stories of Angel, Paige, Caitlin to the forefront, and we’re gonna continue that storytelling of those amazing athletes, and double down on the ones we have, and that is a formula that works for sports. That’s how you generate fandom.”
This year, it starts with a unique draft experience during NBA All-Star weekend, which connects Indiana’s No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft to the potential draft class.
“We don’t have to do too much heavy lifting to make them aware of what’s at stake for the Indiana Fever,” Cook said. “Our job is to just take a big moment, while they’re excited and thinking about all things basketball at this Crossover event, what can we add to that equation?”
The WNBA is debuting the “Draft Day Stage” at the Indiana Convention Center during the three days of NBA Crossover, which it markets as a walk-through experience. Fans can recreate the experience of being the No. 1 pick in the draft, walk out on stage, and customize it to whichever team they would like.
Multiple former No. 1 picks will make appearances in the draft day stage, including the Indiana Fever’s Aliyah Boston, Rhyne Howard of the Atlanta Dream, Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty, Jewell Loyd of the Seattle Storm, and the Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson. Arike Ogunbowale, Natasha Cloud, and Brionna Jones will also make appearances throughout the weekend.
“The layer on top of the potential draft class coming into the WNBA is a very compelling mix of players, both on and off the court,” Cook said. “It’s just so serendipitous in that formula of we’re in a market that has a big moment potentially on the horizon in a couple of weeks, with an amazing backstory of potential franchise talents coming into the team, let’s help amplify that story.”
This is the second year the WNBA has had an event during crossover weekend. Last year, the league did a custom, bespoke apparel experience in Salt Lake City.
“It was kind of a proof of concept for us,” Cook said. “Fans are thrilled to go through a WNBA-lead experience, and if given something that is unique, instinctive and exciting, value adding, then we belong there, and part of our initiative as a league is to find these basketball moments where we authentically can be a part of the experience, and help elevate and amplify the brand.”
As part of the new marketing strategy, the WNBA is introducing its brand to the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. With a potential ultra-popular draft class — possibly including Clark, the new Division I women’s basketball leading scorer — and nearly 10 million viewers of the 2023 national championship game, Cook sees it as perfect timing.
More: WATCH: Caitlin Clark breaks women’s college basketball scoring record
“It’s important for us to be where the attention is, and if this is what the basketball universe is focusing their time on, we want to be there,” Cook said. “That’s a long way of saying we’re going to start our annual advertising campaign during the tournament. It’s our Super Bowl, so to speak.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: With popular draft class on horizon, WNBA utilizes NBA All-Star weekend
