Caitlin Clark got off to a great start this WNBA season, posting a triple-double as she led the Indiana Fever to a dominant 93-58 win over Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky in the season opener. In the process she proved her draw to fans was no flash in the pan.
On Tuesday ESPN announced the Fever-Sky game set a new viewership record for the network. An average of 2.7 million viewers tuned into the Clark-Reese showcase, peaking at 3.1 million, which makes it the most-watched WNBA game in ESPN history— including regular season and postseason.
Impressive numbers. Clark and Reese's rivalry is a top storyline in the WNBA and got some more juice after the star point guard flagrantly fouled the Sky center on Saturday. Clark posted a clean statline of 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in the dominant victory, while Reese scored 12 points and pulled down 17 boards. In the aftermath of their matchup, though, the WNBA announced an investigation into alleged racial comments from fans during the game.
The new record should serve as an early reminder of Clark's stardom as it relates to viewers. She was the driving force behind the W's greatest ratings season ever in 2024. The superstar obviously doesn't seem set to slow down in that regard.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Caitlin Clark’s Win Over Angel Reese, Chicago Sky Sets ESPN WNBA Viewing Record.