Caitlin Clark Delivered Massive Ratings Again For WNBA Prior To Injury
Clark’s injury is a massive blow to the WNBA, which leans on its superstar for virtually all of its public attention.
PublishedMay 28, 2025 4:07 PM EDT•UpdatedMay 28, 2025 4:07 PM EDT
There are three things you can count on in American society right now: death, taxes and Caitlin Clark helping to draw seven-figure TV audiences for the WNBA, a league that almost never saw those numbers prior to Clark’s arrival. Other players in the league may claim that the WNBA’s popularity is “not because of one player” but the data says… well, the data says it’s because of one player.
On Saturday, Clark’s Indiana Fever lost in a thriller against the defending WNBA champions, the New York Liberty. Clark had 18 points, 10 assists and five rebounds, but she also committed a season-high 10 turnovers and shot just 2-11 from three. However, she was one of only two Indiana players who posted a positive plus-minus in the contest.
Unfortunately, after the game, the Fever announced that Clark suffered a quadriceps injury and is expected to miss at least two weeks. These will be the first games that Clark has missed since high school, which is tough for her but even tougher for the WNBA. The league has built on Clark’s momentum and carried it over into this season.
Clark had already helped the league draw 2.7 million viewers for the Fever’s season-opening win over Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky. Against the Liberty this past weekend, over 2.2 million people tuned in. It was the fifth-highest rated WNBA regular season game over the past two seasons. Guess which team has played in all five of those?
Previous post from August 31, 2024
We bring up the Clark Story once again to set the record straight. Certain Black players are aghast at the attention Clark receives every time she takes a breath. We remind those who literally hate her for various reasons of their own that Clark has ignited her base by going national.
Arenas fill up to see her play for the Indiana Fire. This is good in that she brings attention to the WNBA. But those who eschew her success are blind, not litteraly, but psychologically, because they fail to see the fans in attendance. We hazard a guess here by going out on a limb by venturing a guess that White audience is closer to 80%. In other words, Whites not only want to see Clark, but also like to watch the WNBA games in person. We admit that the 80% figure is a guess because statistics don’t exist at this time.
“CAITLIN CLARK!!!!! HI HATERS,” James wrote.
To those of you who follow the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) we find it necessary to comment. By now you all have heard of the number one draft pick, Caitlin Clark; she was chosen by the Indiana Fever. Fresh out of Iowa, where she set scoring records, her time in the WNBA has been fraught with many intentional fouls, some of them very aggressive.
Clark has maintained composure when subject to these flagrant fouls which have led to the opponent receiving a technical violation. What gets our GOAT is that a certain segment of those who play against her think that brutally bullying her on the court would result in her losing game. Of course that won’t happen, but what will happen is that those who bully will be suspended sooner than later.
Last night Clark, scorched the nets for 31 points. She was literally on Fire, as the Fever exploded in their torching the Chicago Sky. Indiana has been one of the hottest teams in the league since the Olympic break, improving to 5-1 in that span. By hitting the century mark on Friday — a season high in scoring — the Fever demonstrated once more how they’ve had the best offense in the league since mid-June and how they’ve become one of the WNBA’s most dangerous teams.
However, there is enmity by a certain population in the league. We don’t have to mention them in order to protect the guilty. Seems there is jealously here due to the fact of Clark’s national attention and her scoring a $28 large contract with Nike. Ms. Clark brings recognition to the league which is good for all concerned. This type of exposure will obviously lead to higher salaries. We mention that Clark is making only $76,000 per year. A small pittance in the scheme of things.
The Philadelphia Citizen
What happened. What it means. And what you can do about it.
Caitlin Clark’s dazzling ascent as the face of women’s basketball has reaped a whirlwind of racial controversy.
“I think a lot of people may say it’s not about Black and White, but to me, it is,” said Las Vegas Aces superstar center A’ja Wilson about Clark’s celebrated rise. “[Y]ou can be top notch at what you are as a Black woman, but … [t]hey don’t see it as marketable.” Thus, hard working Black women are “swept underneath the rug.” Wilson says when people deny that Clark’s stature is driven by race “it boils my blood.”
Caitlin Clark’s epic emergence is surely in part about race, about gender, and about the myth of meritocracy that undergirds sports. It has also revealed how some celebrated Black male athletes and analysts are tone deaf to the plight of their distaff number.
Caitlin Clark is undoubtedly a phenomenal basketball player. She has shattered collegiate scoring and assist records on her way to being recognized as one of the greatest female shooters to ever swish the nets. Her present reign as the queen of women’s basketball has generated unprecedented interest in the game. College and professional attendance and viewing records have been set as millions throng to an arena or the television set to watch Clark “cook.”
We are not picking sides here, but exposing the facts. You can make up your own mind.