Jewell Lloyd - 2023 WNBA All-Star Game
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - Jewell Loyd (#24) of Team Stewart lifts the trophy after being named the MVP of the 2023 WNBA All-Star game at Michelob ULTRA Arena on July 15, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The 2023 WNBA All-Star Game is proof of the increasing popularity of women's basketball worldwide.

The broadcast of this year's edition of the annual exhibition game aired on primetime on ABC for the first time on Saturday, and it drew its largest audience in 16 years, averaging 850,000 viewers and peaking at 955,000, per Front Office Sports.

Friday's festivities, which included one of the greatest Three-Point Contest performances ever in any league from New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu, averaged 288,000 viewers on ESPN. It is a 43 percent increase from last year's edition that was re-aired on ESPN2.

The league's games on ESPN averaged 546,000 viewers this season so far, an 18 percent increase from the same time last year.

Team Stewart outmatches Team Wilson

The format of the WNBA All-Star Game is similar to the NBA, wherein the top two fan vote-getters will be named captain of their respective teams and will draft their players from a pool voted by fans, coaches, players, and media.

Las Vegas Aces' A'ja Wilson and New York Liberty's Breanna Stewart received the highest fan votes for the second straight year, and this time, Team Stewart came out on top, 143-127.

Seattle Storm guard Jewell Lloyd was named All-Star Game MVP, putting up 31 points in 10 threes, alongside 4 rebounds, and 6 assists.