Sunday’s third WNBA installment of Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese garnered an audience of 2.3 million viewers on ESPN, the league announced Tuesday afternoon. Viewership peaked at 3.3 million.
It becomes the most-watched WNBA game in 23 years, one week after the second meeting between Clark’s Indiana Fever and Reese’s Chicago Sky had previously set that mark. That June 16 game drew 2.25 million on CBS as the Fever won 91-83 in front of 17,274 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. CBS’ reach is about 12.5 million more than ESPN.
In front of 9,872 spectators at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena Sunday, which the Sky said was a sellout, Chicago erased a 15-point deficit to beat the Fever 88-87. Reese had a career-high 25 points plus 16 rebounds, while Clark finished with 17 points and a career-high 13 assists. Reese recently became the first WNBA rookie to have seven straight double-doubles.
Having two of the best rookies in the W on national television has been a ratings boost not only for ESPN but the other networks that show WNBA games. The cameras have been following Reese and Clark since their college rivalry at LSU and Iowa, which included Reese winning a national title in 2023 and Clark becoming the NCAA’s all-time scoring leader.
There will be plenty more opportunities for both networks and the league to capitalize on the commercial impact of Clark and Reese. Chicago will be shown on national television nine more times and the Fever 20 more. Clark has appeared in the six most-watched WNBA games of the season and seven of the top 10.
Before this season, the WNBA had no game with more than 1 million viewers since 2008; that mark is now commonplace. The draft, in which Clark was taken No. 1 and Reese No. 7, saw 2.45 million viewers tune in. Clark’s pro debut produced an average audience of 2.12 million for the May 14 contest against the Connecticut Sun on ESPN2.
The fourth and final regular season game between the Fever and Sky, in Chicago, will be telecast on Ion Aug. 30.
