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Caitlin Clark's return from injury proved her absence made fans' hearts grow fonder. The WNBA superstar routinely draws big viewership numbers, but her comeback in the Indiana Fever's upset win over the New York Liberty topped the charts.
Clark's return drew an average of 2.2 million viewers on the ESPN on ABC broadcast, according to ESPN PR. The game was the third-most-watched WNBA game broadcast on ABC of all time.
The @IndianaFever's victory over the @nyliberty on Saturday delivered the 3rd most-watched WNBA game on ABC EVER 👏
🏀 2.2M avg. viewers (2.8M peak)
🏀 WNBA on ESPN up 14% from last season pic.twitter.com/noWzK8RIFf— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) June 17, 2025
ESPN also announced in its post that its 2025 WNBA broadcast viewership numbers are 14 percent higher than 2024. With the 2024 season being the most-watched in league history, interest in women's basketball continues to increase.
As Clark's popularity grows, ESPN continues to invest in the WNBA, primarily because of her. The Fever also reported on social media that the game was the most-watched in WNBA history.
Caitlin Clark emphatically returned in Fever's win over Liberty
Clark showed no limitations in her first game back, torching the Liberty with 32 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. Her heroic performance led Indiana to a 102-88 victory, giving New York its first loss of the year.
Clark's latest jaw-dropping performance was headlined by a dominant second quarter, in which she made three three-pointers in 38 seconds. The Liberty were able to keep her contained in the second half, but could not overcome the deficit that Indiana never relinquished.
The Fever star's return ended a five-game absence due to a quad strain. Ironically, her last game before Sunday was also against the Liberty. Indiana lost that matchup by two points on a controversial ending, with Natasha Cloud stripping Clark in the final seconds.
Despite the tough matchup against Cloud, a former All-Defensive first-team guard, Clark has been superb against the Liberty in 2025. In her two early meetings, Clark is averaging 25 points, 6.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game against the defending champions. The teams have two more meetings in the regular season, both in New York, sandwiching the All-Star break.
