The Caitlin Clark effect propels the Indiana Fever to unprecedented levels of WNBA viewership and fan interaction.
Following the intermission, the Fever won consecutive games by a margin of more than ten points.
The WNBA has surpassed all expectations since Caitlin Clark joined the Indiana Fever (13–15), setting records for viewership, merchandise sales, and arena attendance. With 2.4 million viewers, this year’s WNBA Draft set the groundwork for a historic season that saw 3.44 million viewers—a 305% increase from the previous year—watch the All-Star game. If winning was really about the support of the fans, the Fever would be far ahead of everybody else in the standings. Clark will try to assist the squad reach their first playoff berth since 2016.
The effects of the Clark assault
The consequences of the Clark attack
Following the intermission, the Indiana Fever triumphed over the Phoenix Mercury (15–13) on Friday, 98–89, and the Seattle Storm (17–10) on Sunday, 92–75. Those back-to-back victories by more than ten points, something they hadn’t done all season, allowed Clark and Fever to take a month-long break—something she hasn’t had since 2023. In the games that are left, the team has also performed admirably for him. The Fever are now the league leaders in social media engagements per post in addition to their impressive 159% rise in social media interactions from the previous year. On TikTok, where interactions have increased by 306%, the jump in interaction is most obvious.
The number of visits to The Fever’s website has increased dramatically as well—by 220% year over year. Fans are excited to watch Clark’s career in the WNBA, which is partly responsible for this rise in popularity. Clark’s star power has also been demonstrated by her merchandise sales, which have followed suit, with her jersey being among the league’s best-selling items. The “Caitlin Clark Effect” is anticipated to continue pushing these statistics higher during the season and even higher during the playoffs as the Fever continue their run.
Clark sets even another record for ratings.
Sports Media Watch reports that the game that was televised on the ION Network on Friday attracted an average of 1.2 million people. The only other WNBA game starring Caitlin Clark earlier this season attracted more viewers than this one. It was the second-highest attendance in ION’s WNBA history. The Fever and Seattle Storm faced off on ABC on Sunday, and the outcome was outstanding. At 2.2 million viewers on average, the game was the fourth most watched WNBA match in the previous 20 years.
Clark sets even another record for ratings.
Several further Indiana Fever records
When it comes to home and away game attendance, the Fever dominate the League.
This season, the Fever has broken records for WNBA game viewership on ESPN, ION, CBS, and NBA TV with ten of its broadcasts.
With almost 1.2 million viewers, Indiana’s road game against Atlanta on June 21 was the most watched WNBA match on ION ever.
With an average viewership of 333,000, Indiana’s road game in Las Vegas on May 25th became the most watched WNBA match on NBA TV history.
Compared to this time last year, almost 300% more hot dogs and 98 pounds more popcorn have been sold at the Fieldhouse concession stand, indicating the growing popularity of the offering.
With more than 800 million video views on social media since April, the Fever have more video views than any other team in the WNBA, NBA, NFL, NHL, or MLB.
