It has now been over two weeks since Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever saw their brief WNBA playoff run come to an end. This was after the Fever fell to the Connecticut Sun in their first-round series, 2-0, thereby putting an end to what was an undeniably incredible rookie campaign from Clark.
Now that the former Iowa superstar is no longer in the picture, it comes as no surprise that viewership numbers for the playoffs have gone down. After all, no less than 2.5 million viewers tuned in to catch Clark’s last game of the season on Sept.25 as Indiana suffered an 87-81 Game 2 defeat against the Sun.
According to reports, Game 1 of the Finals between the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty drew in 1.1 million viewers. While this still represents a sharp decline from the Fever’s last game, the fact of the matter is that this was the most-watched WNBA Finals in history.
This development, which has, unsurprisingly, taken social media by storm, has prompted Caitlin Clark fans to react as they fired back on the accusation that fans only tune in to watch Clark and the Fever.
Fever star Caitlin Clark hyping the crowd.
© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
While there is, of course, some truth to this matter, Clark fans were quick to point out that the Rookie of the Year’s impact on the league is still felt despite her team’s early postseason exit.
“I thought people weren’t gonna watch anymore because Clark isn’t playing? 🙊” asked a supporter.
“You’re getting it wrong. Caitlin actually opened the doors for huge viewership. Let’s not lie…she the reason more people watch the WNBA,” a comment read.
“The whole Caitlin Clark Angel Reese thing was just a canon event that’s leading to all this btw,” pointed out another.
“You thunk wrong. CC brought new fans to the W, but we can appreciate other great athletes, great plays and fast paced action,” a Clark supporter declared.
“Ever hear the saying ‘a rising tide lifts all boats’. Caitlin is the tide, the rest of the W is the boat,” a user stated.
There is very little doubt, if any, that there would have been more than 1.1 million viewers if Clark and the Fever were in the Finals. At the same time, it’s also hard to deny that the record-breaking viewership for Game 1 can be attributed — partially, at the very least — to the Caitlin Clark effect.
Clark brought in the fans, and as it appears, they’re here to stay.
