Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever's NBA TV viewership numbers result in landmark WNBA moment

The Caitlin Clark effect is transforming the WNBA's global popularity. Before stepping on a professional basketball court, Clark's Indiana Fever was scheduled to play 36 of its 40 regular season games on national TV. Since then, Clark has continued setting viewership records, with the Fever's recent game against the Dallas Wings establishing another milestone.

According to a recent Sports Media Watch article, the Sunday, Sep. 1 clash between Indiana and Dallas marked a new WNBA viewership record. The statistics show that the game averaged 652,000 viewers.

That number surpassed the previous NBA TV viewership record for the 2023-24 season set by the Nov. 11 meeting between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors, which averaged 645,000 viewers.

In addition, according to the report, the last NBA TV game to outperform Sunday's Fever-Wings contest was a 2023 NBA Playoff matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat. The game was the fifth and final of the first-round meeting between the two teams, which saw Milwaukee eliminated in an upset.

Indiana's latest viewership surge follows a recent eight-day run, where, led by its rookie sensation, the franchise set other ratings milestones.

Caitlin Clark only focused on winning despite media talk about potential ROTY/MVP award

Throughout the 2024 WNBA season, there has been talk of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese being named co-Rookie of the Year. While WNBA legend Lisa Leslie suggested that Clark and Reese deserve to share the award, the betting odds indicate this isn't a close race.

In August, Clark was an overwhelming betting favorite on FanDuel Sportsbook, with -20000 odds to win Rookie of the Year. Given her play and her team's recent playoff berth, Clark's name has entered the MVP mix.

While a ROTY-MVP season for Clark would be historic, A'ja Wilson leads the MVP race, according to BetMGM.

However, Caitlin Clark recently explained to media members that she and Angel Reese aren't focused on individual awards.

"I think me and Angel would both give you the same answer. You don't wake up and think about individual awards. I know that's what all of you think we do. I know we don't. That's what everybody wants to make this about.

"Both of our teams are competing for playoff spots, that's our main focus."

With just six regular season games remainining, the stakes couldn't be higher for Caitlin Clark and the Fever as they look to catch the fifth-place Seattle Storm.