• Loading stock data...
Thursday, June 19, 2025

Clark vs. Reese: Priciest WNBA Game Set for Record-Breaking Viewership

  • The two WNBA rookie stars will meet for a third time professionally, furthering what has become a heated rivalry.
  • Ticket pricing has already set a league record, while viewership expectations are lofty.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The first two WNBA matchups between rookie phenoms Caitlin Clark (above, right) and Angel Reese (above, left) did major business for the league—and generated significant controversy. Round three on Sunday is poised to reach even higher levels. 

Clark’s Indiana Fever and Reese’s Chicago Sky will play Sunday afternoon at Wintrust Arena in Illinois. Ticket resale list prices for the game on many markets are starting at $160 each—roughly twice the Sky’s average purchase price this season. As of now, the average purchase price of $271, according to TickPick, also makes Sunday’s game the most expensive WNBA contest on record. 

Expectations are sky-high on TV as well, as the second Fever-Sky matchup just five days ago generated an average audience of 2.25 million viewers on CBS, representing the largest audience for the WNBA on any network in 23 years. ESPN will carry Sunday’s game. 

Unlike last weekend, which included Father’s Day and the end of golf’s U.S. Open, the upcoming game will not have significant competition from other major sports events. 

Deeper Storylines

The Clark-Reese matchups, of course, are thick with subplots—and some of the broader discussion around the two has veered into thorny topics of race and gender, and they have become a prominent topic on sports-talk radio and TV. 

The first Fever-Sky matchup on June 1, which drew its own hefty TV audience of 1.53 million, included a hard foul on Clark by Sky guard Chennedy Carter, knocking her to the floor. That foul, later raised to a flagrant 1, set off a national debate on how much protection Clark should receive from officials, and even included some public criticism from Carter on Clark’s skills. The June 16 rematch included Reese again knocking down Clark with a blow to the head, and that foul, too, was upgraded to a flagrant 1. The Fever ultimately won both games. 

The WNBA games between the two, meanwhile, are also a continuation of the two players’ college rivalry, capped by a 2023 women’s March Madness game in which Clark’s Iowa beat Reese’s LSU in the Elite Eight. That showdown, itself a rematch of the 2023 NCAA title game last year won by LSU, drew historic viewership and helped set the stage for the ongoing professional rivalry. 

The two teams will play for a final time in the regular season on Aug. 30.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Fire Rekindled? WNBA’s Portland Expansion Team Eyes Original Name

WNBA trademarks hint at Portland Fire revival as league expands and honors history.

Omaha Delivers Again: LSU, Coastal Carolina Set for CWS Showdown

LSU and Coastal Carolina begin their three-game series Saturday.
Mark Walter

Mark Walter Just Bought the Lakers At a $10B Valuation. Who Is..

Walter’s Lakers buy is easily the biggest franchise sale ever.
Jun 16, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) is introduced before the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers in game five of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center.

NBA Taking Cues from NBA Twitter in Restoring Finals Pageantry

The NBA and ESPN/ABC made several changes on the fly.

Featured Today

Dec 5, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Club World Cup trophy during the Club Word Cup draw at Telemundo Studios.

Revamped Club World Cup Is FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Gamble

The revamped soccer event debuts amid controversy.
Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park
June 14, 2025

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.
Jan 24, 2017; Davidson, NC, USA; The Davidson Wildcats student section cheers during the first half against the Duquesne Dukes at McKillop Court at John M. Belk Arena. Davidson defeated Duquesne 74-60.
June 6, 2025

Every College Wants a Flashy Basketball GM Hire Right Now

The role is more important than ever, and the definition is ever-evolving.
August 31, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; The Goodyear blimp flies over Ohio Stadium during the first half of Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game between the Akron Zips and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
June 6, 2025

Why the Goodyear Blimp Is at Every Major Sports Event

The airship wasn’t built to cover sports. Now it’s a regular presence.
Club World Cup
June 18, 2025

Club World Cup Attendance Plummets for Weekday Games: 3,700 in Orlando, ‘Almost..

Chelsea’s manager bemoaned an “almost empty” stadium in Atlanta.
June 18, 2025

Dana White’s Next Frontier: Making Jiu-Jitsu Mainstream

The TKO Group Holdings–owned competition expands once again.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Ted Leonsis unpacks basketball’s global rise, media rights, and portfolio ownership.
June 18, 2025

Premier League Embraces NFL-Style Flex Scheduling for 2025–26

The league warns of additional games “moving at relatively short notice.”
Sophie Cunningham
June 18, 2025

Fever and Sun Hit With Tiny Fines After Wild Melee

WNBA coaches have long complained about a lack of transparency in fines.
Lydia Ko
June 17, 2025

PGA Championship Ties U.S. Open for Richest Purse in Women’s Golf

This week’s tournament will offer $12 million in prize money.
June 17, 2025

Rolapp Weighs In on PGA Tour–LIV Golf Talks, NFL After Goodell

Brian Rolapp is becoming CEO as commissioner Jay Monahan steps down.