The WNBA has felt the Caitlin Clark effect all season long. Since the Indiana Fever rookie sensation arrived at the scene, viewership numbers have reached unprecedented heights as the fans continue to consume anything and everything Caitlin Clark.
Unfortunately for the WNBA, Clark and the Fever are no longer playing. This is after Indiana suffered a 2-0 sweep in the first round of the playoffs courtesy of the Connecticut Sun, thereby putting an end to what was a truly incredible run from Clark and Co.
According to ESPN, viewership numbers are still up despite Clark’s exit. The semifinal showdown between the two-time defending champions Las Vegas Aces and the No. 1 seed New York Liberty on Sunday amassed no less than 929,000 viewers (peaked at 1.2 million). Per ESPN, this represents the most-watched semifinal game in over two decades.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) drives to the basket defended by Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington (21).
Be that as it may, the fact of the matter is that these numbers still pale in comparison to Clark’s season finale. Game 2 between the Fever and the Sun on Sept. 25 brought in a whopping 2.54 million viewers, making it one of the most-viewed games in the history of the WNBA.
The fans on X, formerly Twitter, could not help but point out the fact that the league has indeed felt the adverse impact of the Caitlin Clark effect now that she’s no longer in the picture.
“Caitlin Clark’s final WNBA playoff game: 2.54 million viewers Best game since Clark was eliminated: 929,000 viewers
“Ratings have fallen off a cliff with the rookie superstar done for the season,” stated a post.
“She’s carrying the WNBA on her back,” read a comment.
“She’s the best thing that’s happened to the WNBA,” declared a fan.
“And should keep plummeting,” predicted another.
“I was told it wasn’t Clark that was causing people to watch? What happened?” asked a user.
“I stopped watching that’s for sure,” a reaction read.
To be fair, a lot of other supporters also pointed out that the 929,000-viewers mark is still a remarkable number for the WNBA, especially considering the fact that this was during NFL Sunday.
Be that as it may, what cannot be denied is that Caitlin Clark has had a massive impact on the WNBA and that she will continue to do so in the years to come.
