Caitlin Clark’s WNBA debut had better ratings than the NHL playoffs.
Caitlin Clark might have lost on her WNBA debut, but the league won the ratings against the NHL playoffs. Her debut set another ratings record for the WNBA and ESPN, beating the NHL postseason that was featuring two games. There were also two NBA playoff games on Tuesday night.
According to CNN’s Matt Marshall, the Indiana Fever vs. Connecticut Sun game had a reported 2.11 million viewers on ESPN2. It featured Clark’s debut where she had 20 points but struggled with 10 turnovers. The Sun’s defense was too much as the Fever lost 92-71.
The NHL playoffs in the same time slot only had 1.99 million viewers. It’s a massive ratings win not just for ESPN but also for the WNBA. It shows that there’s demand to watch women’s basketball plus the fact that the Mohegan Sun Arena was sold out for the first since the Sun’s first game in 2003.
Matt Marshall also pointed out that there could have been more people who watched Caitlin Clark’s first official game in the WNBA. The 2.11 million ratings didn’t include the numbers from people who watched the game on Disney+.
The league is reportedly anticipating more fans will tune in on Clark’s first home game against the New York Liberty on Saturday. It will be televised on ABC, as well as the LA Sparks’ game versus the defending champions Las Vegas Aces.
For those wondering what the ratings record for a WNBA game is, it was 5.04 million people in 1997. It was the first game in league history as the New York Liberty faced off against the LA Sparks at the Great Western Forum.
Even though Tuesday’s game didn’t beat the record, it was the most-watched WNBA game since 2001 when the LA Sparks vs. Houston Comets game attracted 2.45 million people.
What did Caitlin Clark say after the game?
What did Caitlin Clark say after the game?
Caitlin Clark didn’t have the best of WNBA debuts because she struggled with her shooting, fouls and turnovers. The Connecticut Sun had one of the best defenses in the league last season, so it was not surprising that they did a great job making things tough for Clark.
Some might be disappointed with Clark’s first game, but the Indiana Fever star guard is not worried about anything. She’s unhappy with her performance and wants to do better in her next game against the New York Liberty.
“There’s a lot to learn from. It’s the first one. There’s going to be good ones, there’s going to be bad ones.
“Obviously, too many turnovers, that’s not going to get the job done. I would have liked to have played a little better tonight,” Clark told reporters after the game. [H/T MSN]
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