WNBA Viewership Drops Post-Clark's Elimination

The elimination of Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever has led to a significant drop in viewership for the WNBA playoffs. Clark's games drew record audiences, with 2.5 million viewers for the Fever's elimination game against the Sun and 1.84 million for Game 1, despite competing with NFL broadcasts. In contrast, the first semifinal game between the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces saw only 929,000 viewers, while the Sun-Lynx game drew around 650,000 viewers. Despite the drop, the Liberty-Aces game was the most-watched WNBA semifinal in 22 years. Clark's impact extended beyond viewership, as the WNBA experienced its most-watched season in 24 years and highest attendance in 22 years, along with record digital consumption and merchandise sales.