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WNBA viewership has continued to grow despite Caitlin Clark missing the majority of the season, but it’s still clear that she drives the most eyeballs to the sport. Clark admitted to WNBA legend Sue Bird that she feels a level of “responsibility” to play. Clark spoke to Bird on an episode of The Bird’s Eye View podcast released Friday. Bird asked the Indiana Fever star how she manages her patience, knowing that while viewership and attendance are up across the W, there is a noticeable dip when she is out. “I think that’s definitely been hard. I’m going to go to every road game no matter what, whether I’m playing or not. It’s hard because obviously I do feel this responsibility of being out there and playing,” Clark said.
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese both missed Sunday’s game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky due to injury—and the game still drew viewership numbers the league would’ve only dreamed of less than two years ago. Sunday’s game between the Fever and Sky drew 1.5 million viewers on ABC, the fourth-most-watched game on the network this year. The game tipped off at 3 p.m. ET. The numbers are down from the first two regular-season meetings this year between the two Midwest rivals. The Fever and Sky faced off in their respective season openers on May 17 in Indiana, and the game drew 2.7 million viewers on ABC—the most-watched WNBA game, regular-season or playoffs, since Clark and Reese were drafted.
A 55-year-old Texas man who told police he was in "an imaginary relationship" with WNBA star Caitlin Clark was sentenced to 2½ years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to stalking and harassing the Indiana Fever guard. Michael Lewis, of Denton, Texas, reached a deal with Marion County prosecutors in which he pleaded guilty to one felony count of stalking and one misdemeanor count of harassment. He will get credit for time served at the Marion County Adult Detention Center since his arrest.
Lakers owner Jeanie Buss has extended an unexpected offer to Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, inviting her to join the roster of Women of Wrestling (WOW), the all-female wrestling promotion she co-owns. At a panel during San Diego Comic-Con this week, WOW co-founder David McLane—who launched the promotion with Buss—suggested that Cunningham’s physical style and recent on-court persona make her a natural fit for the ring. McLane called her “the Marty McSorley to Wayne Gretzky,” adding, “I would love to have Sophie in WOW.” Buss echoed the sentiment and took to twitter to make the offer official.
"For me it's about getting my mental right," Haliburton said. "I try to figure out things to do." He said he has been to several Indiana Fever games, is improving his WWE video game skills and that he bought a turntable to learn a few DJ skills. "When I'm alone, I sit there and think about everything that's happened, and it's kind of like, 'That sucks,'" he said. "I'm going to fight like hell to get back. All I can do is attack that rehab the best I can."
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Scott Agness: Caitlin Clark exited the Fever’s win at TD Garden in the final minute, clutching her right groin in pain. She had 14-8-7 and scored nine straight points late to secure the road win. Her status is now uncertain ahead of All-Star Weekend in Indy. fieldhousefiles.com/p/caitlin-clar… pic.x.com/HVNInWqgFG
Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever received the most votes for the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game and will be a team captain for the July 19 game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The league reported Sunday that Clark received almost 1.3 million votes, and will be a captain along with Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx.
The Fever’s roster of sponsors “ballooned from 65 last year, which already beat the league average, to 85 this year,” according to Dave Lindquist of the INDIANAPOLIS BUSINESS JOURNAL. Pacers Sports & Entertainment EVP/Strategy & New Business Ventures Joey Graziano added that the Fever’s leadership “looks for corporate partners that share a vision and a set of values with the team.” Coffee and cookie chain Please & Thank You founder Brooke Vaughn, whose company is a Fever sponsor, said that she believes there are “more opportunities for small businesses to be sponsors in women’s sports than in men’s sports.”
Caitlin Clark Effect Back in Full As Fever-Liberty Draws 2.2 Million Viewers Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images When Caitlin Clark is on national TV, the ratings go boom. Saturday’s game between the Fever and Liberty averaged 2.2 million viewers on ABC. ESPN announced that viewership peaked at 2.8 million and was the third-most-watched WNBA game ever on ABC. The matchup drew 76% more viewers than the average regular-season WNBA game on ABC last year. Clark had missed five games with a quad injury, during which time WNBA ratings sagged—although Indiana games even without Clark still did pretty well, all things considered, as Front Office Sports’s Colin Salao documented.
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WNBA TV ratings down more than 50 percent with Caitlin Clark sidelined
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark’s absence due to a strained left quad has had a significant impact on WNBA TV ratings. The league's TV ratings have declined with Clark sidelined. Nationally televised WNBA viewership is down 55% since her injury, according to Nielsen. Fever national TV games are down 53% since Clark's injury – 1,810,000 average viewers before her injury and 847,000 viewers since her injury for Fever national TV games.
Lead ESPN NBA sideline reporter Lisa Salters will miss Sunday’s NBA Finals Game 2 on ABC, according to a network press release. Jorge Sedano, who had been covering the Finals as a sideline reporter for ESPN Radio, will replace her. (Vanessa Richardson will fill in for Sedano on radio.) In a statement, ESPN said Salters is out due to personal reasons. Her partner and ESPN colleague, Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White, also missed her team’s game Saturday night for personal reasons.
Angel Reese initially signed with Reebok in 2023, and agreed to a multi-year extension with the company in October 2024, which will include a signature shoe to be released in 2026. While Reese has not yet met Allen Iverson in person, she is thrilled to have him in her corner. "I love Allen Iverson," Reese said prior to the Sky's matchup with the Indiana Fever at the United Center. "He has that mentality of a dog, he's a killer. No matter what he goes out there and gives his all every night and that's what I try to do, good or bad, I always try to give my all. It's always great to have him in my corner."
Scott Agness: WNBA issues statement 10 days after start of investigation of fans from Sky at Fever. "Based on information gathered to date, including from relevant fans, team and arena staff, as well as audio and video review of the game, we have not substantiated it."
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