Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever continues to break records. But it’s the team’s off-court drama and on-court supremacy, which pretty much define the team’s season, that are proving to be absolute moneymakers for media outlets.
The Fever’s weekend matchup with the Minnesota Lynx drew enormous crowds. It further confirms the team’s standing as one of, if not the greatest, draws in the WNBA, per the most recent viewership data.
On August 2, 2026, two of the WNBA’s dominant teams faced off for the first time this season. While the league-leading Minnesota had won nine straight games, Indiana was on an unprecedented winning run, setting a record for the most consecutive 100-point victories with five. The excitement for the game was evident, of course, but Sunday’s viewership figures showed how enthusiastic fans were.
According to Fever beat reporter Scott Agness, “ABC’s telecast of Fever at Lynx on Sunday averaged 2.5 million viewers and peaked at 3.1M – its second most-watched regular season game in ESPN history.”
With 2.5 million viewers, the Fever’s 108-100 loss to the Lynx on Sunday became the second most-viewed WNBA regular-season game in ESPN history.
The star-studded game featured many storylines, including Courtney Williams and Olivia Miles’s backcourt clash, as well as Kelsey Mitchell and Clark. There was also a head-to-head match between Aliyah Boston and Napheesa Collier. Then, who can forget the ongoing Sophie Cunningham scandal?
Despite the Lynx breaking Fever’s five-game winning streak, Indiana Coach Stephanie White’s side managed to come out with another record. The Fever has now appeared in all three of the WNBA’s top-rated games on ESPN.
In response to the Fever’s obvious position as one of the major teams driving the WNBA’s popularity, one X (formerly Twitter) user wrote, “The CC effect what else 🥹😤😮💨.”
Another user suggested, “2.5M viewers for the Fever is wild. I panic over 50 homepage visits. Hope the league uses this momentum to build real infrastructure, not just hype.”
2.5M viewers for the Fever is wild. I panic over 50 homepage visits. Hope the league uses this momentum to build real infrastructure, not just hype. love you mean it
— Sophia t (@sof75_r) August 5, 2026
One fan took the opportunity to express their frustration as they wrote, “#CaitlinClark keeps allowing herself to do historic PR for #WNBA while they use her as the punching bag of girl abuse, fouls and sabotage of her game.”
A fourth user added, “And Monica McNutt called A’ja Wilson the face of the league 😭😭. Caitlin Clark is clearly the face of the league!!”
Interestingly, Clark also appeared in all four of the WNBA’s most-viewed games in 2025. The 2025 WNBA season drew an average of 969,000 viewers across CBS, ION, and ESPN networks. For 25 WNBA games in 2025, ESPN/ABC averaged 1.3 million viewers, a six percent increase over 2024.
Clark and the Fever remain the primary force behind the WNBA’s growing popularity. The Fever is the only team that has played all 44 regular-season games on national television. The fact that the WNBA had not attracted one million viewers to a game in almost 16 years before Clark’s debut is a good indicator of her popularity. These days, Fever games frequently exceed that threshold.
Overall, the Lynx and Fever had a solid performance on Sunday. Both sides played a competitive game. The Lynx resisted the Fever’s attempts to overcome a 15-point deficit.
Williams contributed 27 points, four rebounds, and five assists, while Miles finished with 28 points, four rebounds, and six assists. Collier finished with eight rebounds, seven assists, and 18 points.
Mitchell made a game-high 37 points, hitting 6-of-8 from beyond the arc. Boston finished with 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Clark finished with 19 points and 10 assists.
In the end, Indiana dropped to 19-11, while Minnesota improved to 25-6.
There was plenty of action throughout the game as the league’s top offense made every effort to defeat the second-best defense. Ultimately, the Fever was just two points behind Minnesota at 98-100 with just over two minutes remaining, but Collier and co. persevered and defeated Indiana 108-100.
