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As the days go by, the Caitlin Clark effect is more visible in the WNBA. The young guard landed in the league with high expectations. Even though she initially struggled, Clark has found her rhythm, and with her, the Fever has started to get better.
Clark's popularity continues to soar, especially as she's responsible for shattering plenty of viewership records for women's basketball and its TV partners. This is the first season where a WNBA game averaged more than one million viewers since 2008. In 13 of the 15 games that surpassed the one-million viewership barrier, a common denominator is visible: Caitlin Clark.
The most-watched game aired on ESPN on June 23. The Indiana Fever clashed with the Chicago Sky, drawing 2.30 million viewers. A week earlier, on CBS, the same teams attracted 2.25 million viewers. The third game with over two million viewers was the season-opener between the Fever and the Connecticut Sun, garnering 2.12 million viewers.
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The game with the least viewers involving Caitlin Clark was against the Washington Mystics on July 6, which drew 1.02 million viewers. The LA Sparks vs. Las Vegas Aces on May 18, and the Phoenix Mercury vs. Connecticut Sun on July 14, are the only two games on the list that didn't feature Clark, but had 1.34 million and 1.02 million viewers, respectively.
Caitlin Clark has participated in 41.8% of the Indiana Fever's total points this season
Several people predicted that when Caitlin Clark started to play better, the Indiana Fever would follow suit. The rookie guard has taken this responsibility with utmost seriousness, becoming the leader of the squad with her plays. According to Rebecca Lobo, Clark has scored or assisted on 849 points for the Fever this season.
This is the same as 41.8% of the team's total points in this campaign so far. Clark is doing something no other player has done in WNBA history. After a 1-9 start to the season, the Fever finished the first part of the campaign with a 12-14 record, on the brink of playoff contention. This could make a stronger ROY case for Clark and even establish her as an MVP candidate.
