The Indiana Fever’s playoff run was short, but Caitlin Clark made a huge impact.
Record-Breaking Viewership:
Their Game 2 loss to the Connecticut Sun attracted 2.5 million viewers, with a peak of 3.4 million. ESPN reported it as the most-watched WNBA game on cable ever.
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ยโ ESPN PR (@ESPNPR)
The Clark Effect:
Fans didn’t just tune in for Game 2 to see Clark get eliminated; they also showed up for Game 1. On an NFL Sunday, the series opener drew in 1.8 million viewers and peaked at 2.2 million, setting a record for WNBA postseason games on ESPN platforms.
Caitlin Clark’s Influence:
Clark has been a big draw this season. The top 14 highest-rated WNBA games all featured her team, according to Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut. She’s been part of two of the ten most-watched games in league history, including the All-Star Game and Wednesdayโs match against the Sun.
Fans really love watching her play.
League-wide Growth:
This season saw more people watching WNBA games overall. The average viewership jumped from 440,000 in 2023 to an impressive 1.4 million on ESPN networks alone. According to Sports Business Journal, even non-Fever games averaged about 657,000 viewers.
Thanks to Clarkโs popularity, other young stars like Angel Reese and Aliyah Boston are getting noticed too. Established players like A’Ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart are also benefiting from this increased attention
