Despite the constant stream of attacks — both verbal and physical — WNBA star Caitlin Clark continues to be the focus of the biggest ratings in league history.
The grudge match between Clark’s Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky drew the largest audience ever for a WNBA game, with an average of 2.25 million viewers. At its peak, nearly three million were watching, Front Office Sports reports.
“The Indiana Fever’s 91-83 victory over the Chicago Sky on Sunday was the league’s most-watched game in more than two decades,” noted the Daily Mail. “The highly-anticipated matchup averaged 2.25 million viewers, a 225% increase over an average game last season.”
Caitlin Clark, #22 of the Indiana Fever, drives the ball during a game against the Chicago Sky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 16, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
A previous matchup between the Indiana and Illinois teams drew 1.53 million. It was played at noon on a weekday, so the total audience is also notable.
But this is just one more feather in Clark’s cap. She has already been the star of all the games that have broken league attendance and viewership records this year. Games she appeared in broke records on all venues, including ESPN2, ABC, ESPN, Ion, and NBA TV.
Along with the rise in TV audiences, the WNBA’s in-arena attendance has also soared to 94 percent capacity during some games.
The stage was set from her debut game in the league. Attendance was reported at 13,028 fans in the stands in May, more than triple the number of fans that attended past Indiana Fever games.
Clark was already breaking league records in scoring and other metrics within weeks.
While Clark is far and away the most popular player in the WNBA, her star power has also brought fans to several of the other members of the WNBA rookie squad this year, including Nika Mühl, Kate Martin, and Angel Reese.
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