Indiana Fever and WNBA rookie sensation Caitlin Clark.
Today, Wednesday July 17, is the last day to see Caitlin Clark in action for an entire month due to the imminent start of the Olympic Games, which will force the WNBA to pause for several weeks as players compete in Paris. Although Caitlin will not be participating in the Olympics -a decision that has sparked significant controversy against the USA team’s head coach, Cheryl Reeve– the impact of the Indiana Fever’s sensational rookie is evident in the numbers.
Many experts are calling it the Caitlin Clark Effect, and it’s not hard to see why. Since 2008, the WNBA hadn’t seen viewership numbers surpassing one million, but the arrival of the fESPN, CBS, ABC, and ION.ormer Iowa star has dramatically changed the game, especially for networks like
Caitlin Clark makes WNBA history with first triple-double by a rookie, fans celebrate wildly
A report from Sports Media Watch revealed the viewership numbers for this WNBA season, highlighting the 15 most-watched games of the year. Out of those, 13 featured the Fever and Clark. The least-watched game of the year, Phoenix vs. Connecticut, still averaged 1.02 million viewers.
In contrast, the most-watched game was the Indiana Fever versus the Chicago Sky, showcasing the rivalry between Caitlin Clark and fellow rookie star Angel Reese, a rivalry that dates back to their college days. This game averaged 2.30 million viewers. Of the top 10 most-watched games of the year, all include Clark and her team.
