Former Iowa star Caitlin Clark had a rocky start to her WNBA career, but she still drew the largest audience for the WNBA in more than two decades.
Topline
About 2.1 million people tuned in to watch the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark make her WNBA debut Tuesday night, according to ESPN—a potential sign that the increased demand from NCAA women’s basketball is carrying over to the women’s professional league.Key Facts
About 2.1 million people—and a peak of 2.3 million—watched the Indiana Fever’s season opener Tuesday on ESPN2, ESPN+ and Disney+, in which they fell to the Connecticut Sun 92-71.
The game was the most-watched for the league since 2001, when 2.44 million watched Sheryl Swoops and the Los Angeles Sparks play the Houston Comets on Memorial Day, according to Sports Media Watch, and the most watched WNBA game on ESPN platforms ever.
In the one other nationally televised game Tuesday, 464,000 people watched the defending champion Las Vegas Aces’ home opener against the Phoenix Mercury, in which Las Vegas won 89-80, ESPN said, an increase of 5% over last year.
