Simply put, viewership has dropped significantly since Clark played her last game this season. At the same time, however, WNBA viewership in general has seen a sharp rise compared to previous years. A testament to this fact is how Game 1 of the Finals between the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty amassed a record 1.1 million viewers — the most in WNBA Finals history.
More than a few folks out there are adamant that the league continues to feel the Caitlin Clark effect despite her early exit in the playoffs. One of those believers is WNBA legend Sue Bird.
“Viewership numbers with Caitlin Clark are astronomical,” Bird said in a recent episode of her “A Touch More” podcast with USA soccer icon Megan Rapinoe, via Grant Young of Women’s Fastbreak. “She is a big draw, she brings in all the things.
“And yes, the games where she’s not playing have lower viewership… But in the WNBA [Semifinals]… where Caitlin obviously is not in it cause her team lost, are still breaking records from previous WNBA years.”
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