DraftKings featured WNBA All-Star highlights on its social media channels throughout the league’s annual event this past weekend. The increased emphasis came just a day after the operator announced a WNBA sports betting and daily fantasy partnership with the league.
For Chicago Sky fans, the weekend’s main event was a success as the team’s star rookie forward, Angel Reese, was impressive with a double-double for Team WNBA, who beat the U.S. Senior Women’s National Team, 117-109.
"I just wanted to leave my mark. One day I wanna be able to be a [USA Basketball team] member."
– Angel Reese after the double-double and win in the WNBA All-Star Game #WNBAAllStarpic.twitter.com/2abRlryvtN
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) July 21, 2024
Illinois sports betting fans will look to ride the wave of popularity the WNBA is enjoying this season as they root on the Sky.
Good timing for DraftKings
The DraftKings partnership comes as the league is experiencing an unprecedented wave of financial success, with a new media rights deal in the works, skyrocketing viewership, sold-out games and record-breaking merchandise sales. The company becomes the league’s second official sports betting and daily fantasy partner after FanDuel.
In addition, the popularity of the league and women’s college basketball over the past few years has helped to increase the number of fans betting on the sport. This fact has not gone unnoticed by the league’s commissioner, Cathy Engelbert.
Ahead of the All-Star game, Engelbert addressed the press and referenced the DraftKings deal while summarizing the league’s financial wins.
Many are calling us a growth stock. We’ve welcomed a number of new partners recently in the past year including La Crema, Oak Hill, Peloton, Skims. Just this week we welcomed DraftKings as an official sports betting and daily fantasy partner, Bumble as the league’s first-ever official dating app, and New Balance as an official partner.
DraftKings and the sports betting landscape in Illinois
The DraftKings partnership could translate into enticing WNBA-specific promos in the operator’s app for Chicago Sky fans who like to bet on sports. Bettors can also place wagers through the operator’s retail sportsbooks at DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis and an outlet at Wrigley Field.
Currently, the operator and FanDuel dominate the online sports betting market in the state, accounting for nearly 78% of the total sports wagering handle among the eight online sportsbooks in Illinois.
FanDuel is the state’s market leader. However, the companies are unhappy with the state’s graduated tax increase on sports betting operators. Both operators have threatened to exit the state because the hike makes their adjusted gross revenue subject to a 40% tax rate. Only New York State has a higher rate at 51%.
Chicago Sky heads into the Olympic Break with playoff spot on the line
As the top mobile operators figure out their strategy for Illinois, the Sky heads into a month-long Olympic break as the sports world turns its attention to the Paris Games. The 2021 WNBA champions will fight to stay in playoff contention when they return to the court in August. The top eight teams make the postseason. The Sky sits in eighth place with a 10-14 record.
Hampered early by injuries to heralded rookie center Kamilla Cardoso, the Sky ended their July schedule with the most impressive win of their season, a 93-85 win on the road over the reigning champions, the Las Vegas Aces. Unfortunately, the team lost a double-digit scorer, six-year veteran guard Marina Mabrey, who was traded to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for guards Rachel Banham and Moriah Jefferson last week. Mabrey averaged 14.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game and scored 20+ points six times this season. She was the leading scorer in the team’s win against the Aces.
The Sky resumes play at Wintrust Arena on Aug. 15, taking on the Phoenix Mercury at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed on Amazon Prime and the Marquee Sports Network locally.
