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WNBA playoff ratings drop after Caitlin Clark goes home
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WNBA playoff ratings drop after Caitlin Clark goes home

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The first weekend of the WNBA playoffs without rookie phenom Caitlin Clark was a little quieter in terms of attention and viewership.

After Clark drew a WNBA record 1.84 million viewers for her first playoff game against the Connecticut Sun on September 22 while competing on an NFL Sunday, she followed up with another record 2.54 million viewers for Game 2 However, Clark and the Indiana Fever lost both games, sending Clark home for the offseason.

Now the remaining teams competing for the WNBA title are the New York Liberty, defending champion Las Vegas Aces and MVP A’ja Wilson, the Sun and the Minnesota Lynx.

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Caitlin Clark and teammates

September 25, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) talks with Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) during the first half in game two of the first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. (Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images)

The first game between the Aces and Liberty, a rematch of last year’s WNBA Finals between two of the league’s most popular and successful teams, drew 929,000 viewers, according to ESPN, which is 50% less than the Fever’s Game 1 against the Sun. Still, it was historically good for any WNBA playoff game that Clark wasn’t involved in, as it was better than any of the TV numbers for the Finals games between the two teams last year.

Meanwhile, Game 1 of the Sun-Lynx series had almost 650,000 viewers.

Both games also fell well short of some of Clark’s regular season games in terms of attendance. In early September, Clark’s Indiana Fever played in front of a television audience of 1.26 million viewers in a game against the Minnesota Lynx that was played concurrently with a Friday night Week 1 NFL game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers.

At Clark’s first regular-season finale against the Washington Mystics on September 19, a total of 20,711 fans showed up at Capital One Arena, setting a new record for the best-attended WNBA regular-season contest.

On TV, Clark made the Fever the most-watched team in the WNBA in her rookie year with a landslide victory, as the Fever’s 14 most-watched WNBA games of the season all featured the Fever.

Clark’s teammate, point guard Kelsey Mitchell, told reporters in September that Clark was the reason her player had more attention and fans than before.

INSIDE CAITLIN CLARK’S INFLUENCE ON MEN’S BASKETBALL

Caitlin Clark performs the piece

September 25, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) possesses the ball in the first half against the Connecticut Sun in game two of the first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. (Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images)

“I think the reality is that without (Clark) people wouldn’t know,” Mitchell said when asked about getting more attention and fans this season. “She’s done an incredible job of bringing her own fans and people to support her, but personally I kind of laugh at it and accept it at the same time because I’ve always flown under the radar. I always have been.” This person is very conservative, very introverted. Now I can see the flip side of it.

Shooting guard Erica Wheeler told reporters that Clark’s presence this season has led to the team needing to be more resilient to scrutiny.

“We’re just having fun with Caitlin Clark, who never takes anything seriously,” Wheeler said. “I tell people all the time that she really is a kid at heart. … There are times when we have to be serious, and we are serious, but most of the time we’re having fun. Because you have to understand the outside world.” I really tried to get into this building. We just didn’t allow it.

Fans who followed Clark during her rookie year saw the Iowa product break a handful of league records en route to WNBA Rookie of the Year honors.

On the final day of the regular season, she broke the record for most points by a point guard in a single season in WNBA history.

Clark previously broke the league’s record for most rookie points and assist records in a single season.

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Caitlin Clark and a referee

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) smiles at an official Wednesday, August 28, 2024, during a game between Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (INDIANAPOLIS STAR Images)

Clark is the single-season record holder and all-time leader in assists this year, becoming the youngest player to ever lead the league in assists.

Clark also led the league in 3-pointers made this year and had the second-most all-time in a single season with 122.

Additionally, she broke the record for the most All-Star votes of any player in WNBA history and became the first rookie to ever record a triple-double.

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