Caitlin Clark has once again been credited with driving major WNBA viewership numbers after the Indiana Fever’s clash with the Chicago Sky became the league’s most-watched regular-season game in nearly three decades.
The Fever star finished with 37 points and 10 assists as the game averaged 3.31 million viewers and peaked at 3.82 million.
Clark’s impact on WNBA audiences has become increasingly difficult to ignore. The August 16 meeting between Indiana and the Atlanta Dream, which also featured Angel Reese, averaged 2.6 million viewers on ESPN, setting a cable record for a WNBA regular-season or postseason game.
There have been more huge numbers this season, too, with CBS and NBC both reporting record audiences for Fever games in July.
WNBA analyst credits Caitlin Clark for another huge ratings success
WNBA analyst Ben Daniel believes Clark deserves much of the credit for the league’s recent television surge.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Daniel said: ‘Caitlin Clark continues to be the biggest draw in women’s basketball by a mile, and one of the biggest draws in American professional sports.’
He also pointed to the number of high-profile games involving Clark that have delivered strong audiences, before adding: ‘We’re setting records anywhere we play. She saved this league.’
The Fever-Sky matchup certainly had plenty of other storylines.
Sophie Cunningham was involved in another physical storyline following her previous clash with DiJonai Carrington, while Chicago’s Natasha Cloud had a heated confrontation with Enes Kanter Freedom during the game.
Despite those distractions, Clark remained at the centre of the action on the court.
The 3.31 million average made the Fever-Sky game the most-watched WNBA regular-season contest since the league’s inaugural season in 1997. Only two regular-season games have drawn larger audiences, both from that opening weekend.
New York Liberty vs Los Angeles Sparks drew 5.04 million viewers, while Charlotte Sting vs Phoenix Mercury attracted 3.59 million. Both were broadcast on NBC.
Clark has also been setting records individually, becoming the leading WNBA player to record at least 30 points and 10 assists in a game, doing so five times.
With Indiana continuing to attract enormous audiences, the Fever’s remaining games will provide another clear indication of just how much Clark’s presence is driving the league’s growing television appeal.
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