Photo via Yahoo Sports

WNBA Faces Ratings Test Without Caitlin Clark, Fever

The opening round of the postseason delivered historic drama, highlighted by the eighth-seeded New York Liberty eliminating the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx and Arike Ogunbowale breaking a postseason scoring record for Dallas. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Aces secured a decisive victory over the Indiana Fever in their final elimination matchup.

Even though the Fever fell short, their contests dominated regular-season ratings across various networks, peaking with millions of viewers during matchups against opponents like Chicago and Atlanta.

With the star-studded Indiana roster now sidelined, the league faces a crucial test regarding audience retention during the remainder of the playoffs. However, industry momentum remains strong as non-Fever broadcasts experienced a significant twenty-four percent surge on ESPN.

Organizers now look toward potentially breaking historical championship viewership benchmarks set decades ago during the inaugural campaign and surpassed more recently by the Liberty and Aces.

Up nextWNBA· 1h ago

Fever trade idea pairs Caitlin Clark with 'All WNBA-caliber' sharpshooter