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Over the weekend, Caitlin Clark opened her second season in the WNBA in sentimental fashion. Fans were buzzing online after seeing the viewership numbers, which were on par with those for one of the sport’s biggest stars.
On Sunday, Clark and the Indiana Fever held a preseason matchup in Iowa against the Brazil national team. This gave the star guard the opportunity to play in front of the fan base that adored her for years during her historic college career. The Fever did not disappoint the Iowa crowd, winning the game via blowout.
A few days later, it was revealed that 1.3 million people tuned in to watch Clark’s preseason debut. Over the past 15 years, only two NBA preseason matchups have brought in numbers like that or better — both involving LeBron James. The first was in 2017, fresh off an NBA Finals loss, followed by one of his first outings in a LA Lakers uniform.
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Following this news, WNBA fans reacted to Clark continuing to bring massive attention to the league.
"1.3M for an exhibition game is an insane number, oh the haters are gonna be hating all season when the Fever games are even higher than last year, probably hit 5M at some point lmao," one said.
Most fans believe viewership numbers like this are just the beginning for Clark and the Fever.
"1.3M for a preseason game. this sh*t is light work for the face of the league," one fan said.
"1.3M for a Preseason game. We not slowing down this year," another fan said.
"1.3m for a preseason not even against WNBA competition...Clark IS the needle," said one fan.
Brazil national team player pokes fun at Caitlin Clark on Instagram
In her return to Iowa, Caitlin Clark notched 16 points, six rebounds and five assists in the 108–44 victory over Brazil’s national team. Despite being on the wrong end of a massive blowout, one of the competitors still managed to have a laugh with the star guard.
With this game having extra meaning to her, Clark posted a series of photos from Sunday’s matchup on Instagram. Starting off the collage was a snapshot of her deep 3-point shot from just inside the logo. Brazil guard Izabela Nicoletti commented on the post, jokingly asking Clark to tag her next time.
With this matchup behind them, Caitlin Clark and the Fever can now begin preparing for the real work ahead. Following a busy offseason, Indiana is facing big expectations in 2025. Armed with an emerging star and reliable veterans, the Fever are a team some believe can make a run at a championship.
The Fever have one more preseason game before officially tipping off the 2025 campaign against the Chicago Sky on May 17.
