Viewership for the WNBA has been on an uptick over the last couple of years. Records are being broken and new marks are being set with wider audiences tuning in on a nightly basis, and there has been a noticeable increase in public interest in the league. But it appears that there is a singular driving force behind the boost in viewers, which has become apparent as Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark recovers from a quad injury.
WNBA Viewership Plummets With Caitlin Clark Sidelined
According to a report from Jeff Zillgitt of the USA Today, nationally televised WNBA viewership as a whole is down 55% since Clark’s injury. For Fever games in specific, the average amount of viewers over the five games she’s missed has dropped from 1.8 million to 847,000, a decrease of 53%.
WNBA ratings have plummeted over 50 percent since Caitlin Clark’s injury https://t.co/flqKkgItlm pic.twitter.com/F9RtZltHD7
— New York Post (@nypost) June 12, 2025
There was a glimmer of hope over this past weekend, though. With Caitlin Clark on the sidelines for her rivalry match with Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky, Saturday night’s game still managed to pull in 1.92 million viewers, which made it the third-most watched WNBA game so far this season.
It was estimated earlier this season that over 26% of the league’s total revenue could be attributed to Clark alone in terms of tickets sales, merchandise sales, and other factors.
When Will Clark Return To The Fever Lineup?
Caitlin Clark hasn’t played a game since May 24th. She has played in just four games so far this season, and had averaged 19 points, 9.3 assists, and 6 rebounds in those contests. The Fever were 2-2 with her in the lineup, and are now 2-3 without her. They were however able to dominate Chicago in last Saturday’s meeting, winning 79-52.
It was initially reported that Clark would miss a minimum of two weeks, and we are already past that point with no clear timetable for a return. Indiana’s next game is scheduled for Saturday, which will be a home contest against the New York Liberty. It will be nationally televised on ABC.
