Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese Matchup Earns 2.3M Viewers on ESPN

Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese Matchup Earns 2.3M Viewers on ESPN
Sunday’s WNBA game featuring Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky captivated 2.3 million viewers on ESPN, as announced by the league on Tuesday afternoon. The viewership for this high-stakes matchup peaked at 3.3 million, making it the most-watched WNBA game in 23 years. This milestone comes just a week after the previous record was set by the second meeting of the season between Clark and Reese, which attracted 2.25 million viewers on CBS.
The June 16 game between the Fever and Sky saw the Fever triumph with a score of 91-83 in front of a crowd of 17,274 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. CBS, with a broader reach compared to ESPN, helped draw in this massive audience.
In the latest showdown at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena, where 9,872 spectators filled the venue to its capacity, the Chicago Sky managed an impressive comeback to win 88-87 after trailing by 15 points. Angel Reese delivered a stellar performance with a career-high 25 points and 16 rebounds. Caitlin Clark also shone, scoring 17 points and achieving a career-high 13 assists. Reese’s consistency on the court has been noteworthy, as she recently became the first WNBA rookie to record seven consecutive double-doubles.
The presence of these two exceptional rookies on national television has significantly boosted ratings for ESPN and other networks broadcasting WNBA games. Their rivalry, which dates back to their college days with Reese at LSU and Clark at Iowa, continues to draw substantial interest. Reese won a national title in 2023, and Clark set the record as the NCAA’s all-time scoring leader.
This season, both Clark and Reese have become central figures in the WNBA’s commercial and viewership success. Chicago Sky games are scheduled for national television coverage nine more times, while the Indiana Fever will be featured 20 more times. Notably, Clark has appeared in the six most-watched WNBA games of the season and seven of the top ten.
Before this season, the WNBA had not seen a game with more than 1 million viewers since 2008, but now such numbers are becoming the norm. The WNBA draft, where Clark was the first overall pick and Reese was the seventh, attracted 2.45 million viewers. Clark’s professional debut on May 14 against the Connecticut Sun on ESPN2 drew an average audience of 2.12 million.
The final regular-season game between the Fever and Sky will be broadcast on Ion on August 30, providing yet another opportunity for fans to witness the ongoing rivalry between Clark and Reese. The league, networks, and fans alike are poised to benefit from the continued commercial impact of these two star rookies.