INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark is still observing career firsts. On Saturday, she did something she had never done in the WNBA or in college: returned from injury.
After missing three weeks and five games with a quad injury, Clark returned to action Saturday at home against the reigning champion New York Liberty.
“It almost feels like the start of the season,” Clark told Front Office Sports and other media before the game. “It is new to me, which is a good thing … I’d like to keep it that way.”
The excitement of her return helped Indiana sell out Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the third time in six games this season—less than 24 hours after the Pacers hosted Game 4 of the NBA Finals in the same arena.
Clark looked rejuvenated rather than rusty, dropping 14 points in the first quarter, including three threes in less than 45 seconds, before finishing with 32 points (second-most points in her career) and seven threes made (tied for career-high) in 31 minutes.
“This is a peak. It’s incredible to see the momentum of both teams,” said Indiana’s head coach Stephanie White, who was a member of the inaugural Fever team in 2000, the last time the Pacers made the Finals.
Clark played in the Fever’s first three home games, and Indiana sold out two of those three games (May 17 vs. Chicago Sky, May 24 vs. Liberty). Indiana is averaging 16,720 fans per game this season, second in the WNBA behind the Golden State Valkyries, who have sold out all four of their home games at the Chase Center. Gainbridge Fieldhouse seats 17,274 while Chase Center has a capacity of 18,064 fans.
Ticket prices for Saturday’s game fluctuated due to the availability of Clark. Before the team announced Clark’s injury on May 26, the cheapest ticket sold for Saturday’s game was $52, according to TickPick. That fell to $22 before the team revealed Friday that she would return.
A Ratings Lift?
Viewership numbers for Saturday’s game will be released in the coming days, but expect a big recovery from the double-digit dips in Fever viewership over the last three weeks.
Of the five games Clark missed, two aired on NBA TV, one on CBS, one on Ion, and the most recent one against the Atlanta Dream on June 10 was one of just three Fever games this season not aired or streamed nationally.
The two NBA TV games without Clark averaged 343,500 viewers, down about 40% from the Fever vs. Dream game on NBA TV on May 20 (581,000 viewers). Sunday’s game against the Sky was 30% from the May 17 game against the Sky on ABC (though that was the season opener).
ESPN drew a lucky hand with the timing of Clark’s injury and return, as the network did not air any Fever games during that period, then aired her return Saturday on ABC.
