It’s widely acknowledged that WNBA viewership has reached unprecedented heights this season, particularly when the Indiana Fever and standout rookie Caitlin Clark are in action. Even after the Fever’s early postseason exit, the ratings have remained remarkably robust compared to previous years—a detail often overlooked by many sports commentators, including Stephen A. Smith from ESPN.
Throughout the playoffs featuring the Fever and Clark, the WNBA averaged 970,000 viewers across 17 games, reflecting a staggering 142 percent increase from the previous postseason. Even in games where Clark did not participate, such as Game 3 of the semifinals between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty, viewership remained strong, averaging 994,000—marking the highest ratings for a WNBA semifinal in 22 years.
While these numbers do not surpass the regular season games that featured Clark, where viewership exceeded 1 million, certain sports analysts have chosen to emphasize the decline in ratings in her absence rather than celebrating the overall growth of the league. This sentiment was echoed by former WNBA star Sue Bird, who criticized commentators like Smith and Shannon Sharpe for failing to recognize the league’s achievements.
Bird emphasized on her podcast, “A Touch More,” the significance of Clark’s draw and the historical viewership numbers, stating, “The playoff games, although Caitlin is not in them, are still breaking records and cracking a million viewers.” She urged for a more balanced perspective, highlighting the substantial gains in WNBA viewership.
Despite the criticism, both Smith and Sharpe have pointed out the dip in ratings and attendance since Clark’s elimination. Smith noted a significant decrease in viewership for recent games, while Sharpe remarked on the drop in attendance. However, both have neglected to mention the overall growth in the league’s viewership, suggesting a selective narrative that fails to capture the full picture of the WNBA’s rising popularity. Bird’s concerns about the framing of these discussions underscore the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the league’s progress.
