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Caitlin Clark is expected to miss at least four games due to a left quadriceps strain, but she still brought in record ratings in her most recent game.
The Indiana Fever and defending-champion New York Liberty drew 2.22 million viewers to their matchup Saturday afternoon on CBS, the second-most-watched WNBA game ever on the network. It fell just short of passing the most-watched game on CBS, which was a rivalry contest on June 16, 2024, between the Chicago Sky and Fever that drew 2.25 million viewers.
It was also the second-most-watched game of the WNBA season (which started May 16). The most-watched game was on opening weekend between the Fever and Sky, which drew 2.7 million viewers on ABC, the most-watched regular-season game ever on ESPN platforms. It was also the most-streamed WNBA game ever on Paramount+, though the exact viewership numbers on the service are unclear.
Saturday’s game on CBS is the fifth-most-watched regular-season game since Clark entered the league, with the top three being games between the Sky and Fever. Fourth goes to an Aug. 18, 2024, game between the Fever and Seattle Storm, which drew 2.23 million viewers.
The close game, which the Liberty won 90–88, peaked at 3.24 million viewers.
A World Without Caitlin
Clark’s injury, announced Monday, will keep her out for a minimum of two weeks and will be the first time she will miss a regular-season game in the WNBA or college. The timeline suggests she could return for the Fever’s road game June 10 against the Atlanta Dream.
All four of the Fever’s games without Clark air nationally, if NBA TV is considered.
- May 28: at Washington Mystics (NBA TV)
- May 30: vs. Connecticut Sun (Ion)
- June 3: vs. Mystics (NBA TV)
- June 7: at Chicago Sky (CBS)
Ticket prices for the two Fever road games have tumbled, with the get-in price for the Mystics game on Wednesday down 47% since the announcement, according to TickPick. The get-in price for the Sky game is down 71%. Both games were moved by the opposing teams to arenas with larger capacities.
