Caitlin Clark Return Drives 2.2M Viewers WNBA Fever-Liberty Game

Caitlin Clark's return to the Indiana Fever after a five-game absence due to a quad injury sparked a significant rise in WNBA viewership, with her game against the New York Liberty averaging 2.2 million viewers on ABC. This marked the third-most-watched WNBA game ever on the network and represented a 76% increase over the previous year's average WNBA game viewership on ABC. Clark's outstanding performance, including 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists, helped the Fever upset the previously unbeaten Liberty, further driving fan interest. The drop in ratings during her injury absence highlighted the league's heavy reliance on Clark for viewership, as overall WNBA ratings fell by 55% when she was sidelined. Clark's presence has been a consistent driver of the league's growing popularity, with all of the season's highest-rated games featuring her. Her impact underscores her role as the central figure in the recent surge of attention and economic growth within the WNBA.