WNBA Sees Viewership Rise Again With Return Of Caitlin Clark

The WNBA has exploded in popularity over the last couple of years. An influx of new players and storylines has garnered far more attention than the league has been used to, and the proof is in both the viewership and economic numbers that surround the game. But lately, there has been glaring proof that much of the new hype can be attributed to one player, as seen by the impact of Caitlin Clark’s presence.

WNBA Ratings Fell In Absence Of Caitlin Clark

It was undoubtedly true when she was drafted. Clark brought her superstardom from the college game to the Indiana Fever last season, and it wasn’t a coincidence that the league saw numbers and revenue increases across the board. The popularity carried over into the 2025 season, as impressive individual performances by Clark early on drove interest and eyeballs to televisions.

WNBA television ratings are currently down 55% since Caitlin Clark’s injury, per @JeffZillgitt. pic.twitter.com/Ma4YsMnsJk

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 12, 2025

But the league’s fears were realized when the Fever announced that Clark would be sidelined for two weeks with a quad strain.

Numbers predictably dipped. Not only did Fever games see a massive decrease in viewership, but so did the rest of the league. Overall, numbers were down by a staggering 55% overall during the time that she was out, making it obvious that the WNBA still has much of its popularity hinging on just one single player.

Caitlin Clark returned to action this past weekend, and brought the numbers back with her.

Clark’s Return Brought Eyeballs Back To The League

Not only did she have an incredible performance by scoring 32 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and dishing out 9 assist. But she did so in front of an impressive audience, as viewership for the game between the Fever and Liberty drew 2.2 million viewers. It was the third most-watched WNBA game ever broadcast on ABC, and the third most-watched game overall this season.

The other two were Fever games, as well.

The number also represents a whopping 76% increase in viewers vs. last year’s WNBA on ABC regular season average.

Caitlin Clark's 32-point return to the Fever drew 2.2M viewers in their win over the Liberty.

It's the 3rd most-watched WNBA game ever on ABC. pic.twitter.com/Yx6uGtZG1K

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 17, 2025

Indiana has had an up and down season so far. They hobbled out to a 2-4 start to the year, and Clark’s absence in two of those games didn’t help. But they’ve won 3 of 4 since, including the big win over the Liberty in Clark’s return to the floor. It was the first loss of any kind for New York this season, as they were previously undefeated with a 9-0 mark.

Clark and the Fever will have another marquee, nationally televised game this coming weekend against the Las Vegas Aces. But in the mean time, they’ll take on the Connecticut Sun and Golden State Valkyries on Tuesday and Thursday, and will try to improve their .500 record as we inch closer to July.