Even with Caitlin Clark out with a quad injury, the game between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever at the United Center in Chicago last Saturday had solid ratings for the WNBA on CBS.  

The game officially recorded 1.92 million viewers, the third most-watched WNBA game this year, per Colin Salao of Front Office Sports. The game is behind the Fever vs. Sky season opener (2.7 million, ABC) and Fever vs. Liberty (2.2 million, CBS). 

Furthermore, the game also reached a peak of 2.16 million viewers. This one game saw a 75% increase in ratings for CBS from the 2024 WNBA season. The Fever dominated the Sky with a 79-52 win in the first-ever WNBA game played at the United Center. 

It also saw Sky veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot suffering an ACL injury, rendering her out for the rest of the season. Even with Clark out, the game proved that the WNBA can still draw people in. The final attendance for the game was 19,496. 

While the league continues to grow, there is little doubt that a matchup between the Fever and Sky is galvanizing. 

The Fever and Sky are the WNBA's big draw

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Since Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were drafted in 2024, heightened attention has been paid to the Fever and Sky. Thus, every game between is more than likely to draw a crowd both in person and on television. 

Both teams have seen increased attention and sellout crowds. Inevitably, there is an ongoing attempt to manufacture a rivalry between Clark and Reese. 

As such, there is a growing pantheon of experts and would-be experts weighing in and, sometimes, making physicality in basketball into alleged confirmation of a perceived personal vendetta between the two. 

Nevertheless, there is no question that the Fever and Sky are compelling teams to watch, especially when they play against one another. That dynamic is not to die down any time soon.