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Caitlin Clark's Impact on the WNBA is Clear After New Update

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark returned from injury on Saturday after missing the previous five games with a left quadriceps strain. The Fever went on to defeat the New York Liberty 102-88, and fans were locked in to watch Clark put up 32 points, eight rebounds and nine assists.

The game was broadcast on ABC, and Tuesday, ESPN released its television ratings for it.

"The Indiana Fever's victory over the New York Liberty on Saturday delivered the 3rd most-watched WNBA game on ABC EVER," ESPN announced on social media. "2.2M avg. viewers (2.8M peak)."

In addition, WNBA on ESPN is up 14% from last season, while WNBA on ABC is up 76%.

This is just the latest example of Clark’s influence on the WNBA. While she was out, interest in Fever games noticeably dipped. Ticket prices for the recent matchup against Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky dropped by nearly 71% once Clark was ruled out.

There's a clear connection there to Clark. When she suited up for the Fever’s opening day game against the Sky, it became the most-watched WNBA broadcast ever on ESPN platforms.

Clark brings a level of shooting the WNBA hasn’t seen before, regularly launching threes from the logo and hitting 34.7% from beyond the arc for her career.

So far this season, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick is up to 36.7% through five games and went 7-of-14 in the last game against the Liberty.

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