The 28th WNBA season was one to remember and preserved in the record books. It not only delivered the thrill till the last thread of Game 5 of the Final series but also grabbed exceptionally high figures in eyes, breaking the viewership roofs which were stagnant and long-standing. While most of this rise is credited to the entry of reigning ROTY who brought the ‘Caitlin Clark Effect’, recent updates reveal that the Final series also feels its aftershocks.

Just a day after the Finals concluded, all eyes are still on the WNBA. Reports indicate that one game in the Finals series achieved the highest viewership recorded in the 21st century. The Sports Media Watch tweeted on X which read, “WNBA Finals hits new high in penultimate game as Lynx’ series-tying win is most-watched Finals game since 2000. Finals Game 4 viewership: Five years ago: 317K ; Two years ago: 396K ; This year: 1.7M.”

Game 4 was a nail-biter, with Minnesota clinching the win in the final two seconds, thanks to a crucial free throw after Sabrina Ionescu’s foul. This excitement translated into impressive numbers, as the game averaged a 0.9 rating and attracted 1.67 million viewers on ESPN. This makes it the largest WNBA Finals audience in 24 years, surpassing the previous record set by the Liberty-Houston Comets Game 2 on NBC back in 2000, which drew 2.12 million viewers. 

While those viewership numbers are certainly impressive, they still fall short of the record set during Caitlin Clark’s playoff debut. The Indiana Fever guard’s first postseason game against the Connecticut Sun attracted a staggering 1.84 million viewers—over 170,000 more than what Game 4 managed to pull in. Moreover, that playoff figure remains higher than five of the most viewed Finals in the past. 

While the Game 4 viewership is certainly a celebratory moment for the league, it would satisfy Stephen A. Smith even more, given his claims about Caitlin Clark, which stand despite the spike in Finals. “Caitlin Clark is the Golden Goose,” Smith had said earlier, maintaining his view on the marketability of the ‘Iowa sensation’. Nevertheless, while her fans and vocal supporters boast about Clark’s impact on the league’s popularity, the Fever guard recently expressed how she can further escalate these achievements.

Caitlin Clark’s idea of unleashing on league’s booming popularity

There is no denying the ‘Caitlin Clark Effect’ on the league, given her WNBA entry has not only resulted in skyrocketing viewership but also sold-out arenas and other teams relocating their games to accommodate overflowing fans. Even her last regular season game against the Washington Mystics set a single-season attendance record with 20,711 fans turning up at the stands. This drives Clark to address this upheaval and discuss how it could translate into a beneficial future.

“The amount of people that have showed up in the stadium, viewership numbers, to people really wanting to wear a WNBA Player’s jersey or buy their merch, whatever it is, or have their shoe. Just how it’s evolved and in such a short period of time, I think shows everyone, you know, there are real opportunities here and there has been opportunity,” said the Fever #22 in a Zoom interview the clip of which the Sneaker News shared on their X account.

Clark’s presence has ignited a remarkable surge for the Fever, leading to a staggering 1,300% increase in ticket sales compared to last season She also stated, “So I think that’s what so exciting. So the more we can continue to expand that and continue have games on national television and get people in seats.”

Consequently, Clark is optimistic that ongoing growth will align with Cathy Engelbert’s vision for the WNBA. It will be intriguing to see how the league embraces her ideas amid its current expansion and rising popularity. But one thing is certain, this bump is really becoming a momentum and is not simply a moment in the WNBA.