The WNBA is enjoying one of the strongest periods in its history in terms of popularity and viewership. According to an ESPN report, the league generated enough revenue last year to distribute $8 million to each of its 13 teams. With those numbers in mind, it is difficult to deny that women’s basketball is experiencing a significant surge in popularity. But Joe Rogan believes there could be another factor contributing to the league’s growing prominence: controversy surrounding fouls.

During the latest episode of Protect Our Parks on JRE, Joe Rogan and his comedian guests were discussing the WNBA’s rise and the emergence of Caitlin Clark as one of the biggest stars in basketball. While doing so, the UFC color commentator pondered whether the league’s permitting fouls could be the reason behind its growing prominence.

“So, the more controversy there is, the more people do come to see them,” Rogan suggested. “So, do you think they allow them to foul more now?”

Rogan’s curious question was met with an immediate nod from fellow comedian Shane Gillis, who agreed that fouls have dramatically increased the WNBA’s ratings.

“That’s what I was about to say,” Gillis replied. “Nobody watched the league forever. It hemorrhaged money forever, and then it had its first profitable year last year.”

Though it’s hard to tell whether the league has deliberately allowed players to commit more fouls, Rogan’s point that fouls may have helped boost the WNBA’s popularity may not be without merit.

Over the past few years, the WNBA has seen some games pull record-breaking broadcast numbers, and all of them had some sort of foul drama attached to them.

The 2024 game between Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky turned into a major controversy that drew plenty of attention from fans. Sky’s star player Chennedy Carter delivered a hip-check foul on Caitlin Clark away from the ball, which became a major point of contention among fans for a long time. Later, ESPN reported that the game became the most-viewed program of the day.

The following year, another massive ruckus broke out when the Fever and Sky met on the court once again. But this time, the tables turned dramatically. During their May 20, 2025, game, it was Caitlin Clark who committed a foul against Angel Reese, resulting in the Sky’s player receiving two free throws. The intensity was so high that fans couldn’t look away, with the game drawing an average of 2.7 million viewers on ABC. The game also became the most-watched WNBA regular-season contest in 25 years, per Sports Media Watch.

With that, it could be reasonably implied that a tense moment like a heated foul definitely contributed to giving the audience a nail-biting experience. However, the rivalry and competitiveness between the two teams also majorly contributed to the game’s popularity. In that case, fouls alone shouldn’t take all the credit.   

But speaking of fouls, a recent WNBA game also sparked massive controversy and drew solid viewership after another heated infraction took center stage again in the Fever vs Sky’s historical rivalry.

WNBA’s Fever vs. Sky game once again shrouded in foul controversy

On August 8, the two fierce rivals, Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky, clashed once again, and history repeated itself. Unsurprisingly, a heated foul once again stole the spotlight, resulting in massive viewership.

Sky’s guard DiJonai Carrington struck Fever shooting guard Sophie Cunningham on the head during a layup attempt, resulting in a Flagrant 2 foul and ejection in the first quarter. Even with the controversy attached, the Fever managed to win the match 90-86. After another high-profile contest between the two rival camps ended, ESPN reported that the match averaged 2.6 million viewers on ABC, with the audience increasing by 79% compared to last season.

“ESPN delivered its second most-watched WNBA game ever for the second consecutive week as the Indiana Fever-Chicago Sky matchup averaged 2.6 million viewers on ABC on Saturday, August 8,” ESPN’s report on the match stated. “The matchup ranks as ESPN networks’ second most-viewed WNBA game on record, including both regular-season and playoff games. The audience was up 79 percent compared to last year’s ABC regular-season average.”

The numbers certainly suggest that the WNBA’s popularity continues to grow. But whether controversial fouls are actually driving that growth is another question entirely.

Taking all those factors into account, the WNBA appears to be heading toward a bright future in terms of viewership. Now, it remains to be seen what kind of numbers the league draws in the near future with its high-intensity games.