Everyone who loves sports knows or has heard of Serena Williams. Williams is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, having won 23 major women’s singles titles – the most in the Open Era and the second-most ever. Serena retired in 2022, but has remained in the spotlight ever since. Her appearance at Super Bowl 59 is a case in point, as is her husband, Reddit co-founder and billionaire Alexis Ohanian. Ohanian, an avid supporter of women’s sports, particularly basketball, recently shared his excitement about a new WNBA project – a comedy series starring two-time WNBA All-Star Chiney Ogwumike. The show will be the WNBA’s first scripted television series, and Peacock is developing a comedy titled “The W.”
WNBA’s Popularity Surge Sparks New TV Series
The massive attention that Caitlin Clark has brought to the WNBA and women’s college basketball hasn’t gone unnoticed. I’m almost 100% sure she’s the main reason for this upcoming series because of the exposure she’s brought. But beyond Clark, the league also boasts stars like Angel Reese, Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu, among many others, whose talent has fueled the WNBA’s rapid growth. In addition, Clark’s college basketball legacy and inspiration will likely produce more future superstars, such as Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins, who will be competing in March Madness this week. These were Ohanian’s words to Ogwumike and about the upcoming series.
What to Expect from “The W”
According to reports, the show will feature half-hour episodes following a hot rookie WNBA player and her inexperienced agent as they navigate the wild ups and downs of professional women’s basketball. As previously announced, the show will be called “The W,” will air on Peacock and will have GLOW creators Carly Mensch and Liz Flahive as showrunners. The series is loosely inspired by Chiney Ogwumike and her longtime business partner and agent, Allison Galer, who followed Ogwumike down an unconventional career path.
Ogwumike was drafted by the Connecticut Sun before being traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in 2019. During her career, she averaged 11.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. After basketball, she signed with ESPN in 2018 and became the first black woman to host a national radio show for ESPN in 2020. She is also a studio analyst for NBA Today.
Caitlin Clark’s Influence on the WNBA’s Growth
There’s no doubt that the WNBA’s popularity is growing rapidly, and hopefully it will continue to grow as the quality of the league has improved significantly. Caitlin Clark is the driving force behind this surge, and it’s clear that the league wasn’t fully prepared for the rapid fame she brought them, starting with her draft day.
As for Serena’s husband, Alexis Ohanian, who is very active on social media, he recently invited Clark to dinner at their home. This happened after a video with Eli Manning and Clark where she was asked: “If you could have dinner with any celebrity, who would it be?” Clark’s answer? Serena Williams. After watching the video, Ohanian responded on X, saying: “C’mon now Caitlin Clark, there’s an open invitation at our home!”
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