Rebecca Lobo highlights Caitlin Clark's Fever nearly dethroned LeBron James' decade old viewership record

On Sunday, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever faced the Brazilian women's national team in a preseason showcase at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the home of Clark's alma mater, the University of Iowa.

According to a post on X from ESPN, the game drew an average of 1.3 million viewers and peaked at 1.6 million. According to Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo, only two other preseason basketball games since 2010 have outperformed it.

The first was a showdown between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 10, 2017, where LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose faced off against Rose's former team. According to Lobo, the game drew an average of 1.37 million viewers.

The most-watched preseason game, however, took place a year later, on Oct. 10, 2018, when James famously made his debut for the LA Lakers. According to Lobo, that game drew an average of 2.02 million viewers.

Caitlin Clark and the Fever won Sunday's game 108-44, with the former Hawkeye scoring 16 points on 60% shooting. She also logged six rebounds, five assists and a block.

The team will be back in action on Saturday when they collide with the Atlanta Dream in their final preseason game.

"Should be a great season," - Caitlin Clark praises recently-acquired veterans ahead of the 2025 season

Last year, Caitlin Clark took the WNBA by storm, breaking several longstanding records en route to the Rookie of the Year award. Clark also helped lead the Indiana Fever back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Following a first-round elimination at the hands of the Connecticut Sun, Indiana's front office went to work bolstering their roster for the season ahead. With a young core in Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell, the team prioritized adding veterans with championship experience.

They acquired former WNBA champs DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, Sydney Colson as well as veterans Sophie Cunningham and Brianna Turner. At the same time, the team also brought back coach Stephanie White, who led the Fever to their most recent playoff berth in 2016.

Following the preseason win over the Brazil on Sunday, Caitlin Clark expressed optimism about the season ahead.

"We got a new team, so it's gonna take some time to put it all together," Clark said. "But I think everybody's thankful, we've got some really great veterans who've won before and then we got some people back and Steph's amazing and our staff. Should be a great season."

With their sights set on a title, only time will tell how this season plays out for the Fever.