Ratings for the opening games of the WNBA Semi-Final rounds dropped significantly without Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in the mix.
We hate to say it, but we told you so.
The first game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty – two of the most popular teams in the league – brought in a solid 929,000 viewers on Sunday according to Sports TV Ratings.
Understand that this game aired at 3 PM on Sunday, the exact same time as Clark’s previous weekend’s playoff debut, when the Fever took on the Connecticut Sun. So, same tough scheduling up against the NFL.
Clark’s opening-round playoff game drew 1.84 million viewers, making it the most-watched playoff game since 2000.
WNBA Ratings Plummet Without Caitlin Clark
The less glamorous WNBA playoff matchup involving the Connecticut Sun and the Minnesota Lynx brought in even less in the way of ratings.
Just 654,000 viewers watched that game. And they witnessed a rough showing with both teams combining for just 24 points (the Lynx had 8 total on 4 of 18 shooting) in the final quarter.
Oof.
Here’s what we warned you about when the Fever was on the brink of elimination:
The WNBA better hope the Indiana Fever has some magic left and can extend their playoff series …
Cause man, they are going to have a serious problem with drawing viewers if Wednesday happens to be Caitlin Clark’s last game of the season.
Good Lord. The first two semi-final round games combined saw 1.58 million viewers. That’s the total for two entire games. It still falls well short of the single first game played by Caitlin Clark just a week ago.
RELATED: Caitlin Clark Wanted Opposing Teams To Get More Money Because She Was Selling Out Road Games: Report
Not All Bad News
With the WNBA ratings taking a hit, it’s a clear sign that Caitlin Clark remains the most popular player in the league by far. The league MVP in A’ja Wilson – who is still playing – can’t even make a dent in her numbers.
But it’s not all gloom and doom. The league is still managing to scrape a little of the Caitlin Clark effect with these ratings.
The 929,000 viewers for the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces is more than any of the four WNBA Finals games last season. And it absolutely trounces the 2023 Semi-Final games. Like, by a lot.
Clark has set them up for success. Let’s hope the league does something with the newfound attention.
Oh, by the way – we didn’t even mention Caitlin’s second playoff game as her club faced elimination.
Game 2 of that series brought in 2.54 million viewers, the biggest playoff audience in over 25 years.
More about:WNBA News
Read This Next
