Fever-Sky Viewership Dips As Clark, Reese Absences Take Toll

The Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky have consistently driven some of the WNBA’s biggest viewership numbers since Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were drafted last year. But the two stars have been out with injuries—and it’s reflected in the viewership.

Saturday’s Fever vs. Sky game drew 1.31 million people on CBS, which is slightly above the average national TV viewership for Fever games this year, but it was also the least-watched of the eight Chicago-Indiana games since 2024. 

It was also less than half the viewers who watched the two teams face off in their 2025 season opener on May 17 (2.7 million).

This follows 1.47 million viewers for the two teams’ previous meeting on July 27, which Clark and Reese also missed due to injury. Clark, who has played in only 13 of the Fever’s 32 regular-season games this year, has played in just one of the four meetings between the two rivals.

Average viewership for Fever vs. Sky games:

2024: 1.9 million 

2025: 1.85 million

Considering Clark and Reese played in each of the four games last year, the two numbers staying close is still an indication of the trickle-down effect of the stars. The two games they missed are averaging close to 1.4 million viewers, not far from the 1.6 million viewership average of the 2024 WNBA Finals and significantly more than the 728,000 average of the 2023 Finals.

This has also been evident in non-Fever games. While those are still drawing significantly less than Indiana games this year, Front Office Sports reported after the All-Star break in July that those games are up 37% in viewership compared to the full year 2024.

However, Clark admitted to WNBA legend Sue Bird on the Bird’s Eye View podcast released Friday that she feels a “responsibility” to play knowing that many are expending resources to watch her.

“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.

Clark has been out since mid-July with a right groin injury and has still not fully practiced with the Fever. Reese is dealing with a back injury and hasn’t played since July 29.

Chicago and Indiana meet one more time this season on Sept. 5 in Indianapolis. The game will air on Ion.