First weekend of WNBA playoffs Newbie phenom Kaitlin Clark Were a bit quiet in terms of attention and viewership.
after Clark sets WNBA record Its first playoff game against the Connecticut Sun on September 22 was watched by 1.84 million viewers, while competing with NFL Sunday it followed it with another record audience of 2.54 million viewers for Game 2. Clark and the Indiana Fever lost both of those games, however, 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 reigning MVP A’ja Wilson, the Suns and the Minnesota Lynx.
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September 25, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever guard Kaitlin Clark (22) talks to Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) during the first half during game two of the first round of the 2024 WNBA playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. (Paul Rutherford-Imagen 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, ESPN announced, which was 50 percent of the Fever’s Game 1 against the Suns. % is less. Still, this was historically good for any WNBA playoff game that did not involve Clark, as it was better than any TV numbers for the Finals game between the two teams last year.
Meanwhile, Game 1 of the Sun-Lynx series averaged about 650,000 viewers.
Both of these games also trailed some of Clark’s regular season games in viewership. In early September, Clark’s Indiana Fever played in front of a TV audience of 1.26 million viewers in a game against the Minnesota Lynx that played at the same time as the Week 1 Friday Night NFL game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers. Had gone. ,
In Clarke’s first regular season finale against the Washington Mystics on September 19, a total of 20,711 fans came to Capital One Arena, setting a new record for the most attended WNBA regular-season contest.
On the TV front, Clarke’s stellar performance makes the Fever the most-watched team in the WNBA his rookie yearBecause the Fever were among the 14 most watched WNBA games of the season.
Clark’s teammate, point guard Kelsey Mitchell, told reporters in September that she was a player with more attention and fans than ever before because of Clark.
Caitlin Clark’s impact on men’s basketball
September 25, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever guard Kaitlin Clark (22) has the ball in the first half against the Connecticut Sun during game two of the first round of the 2024 WNBA playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. (Paul Rutherford-Imagen Images)
When Mitchell was asked about getting more attention and fans this season, he said, “I think the reality of it is I don’t think people would know without (Clark).” “She’s done an incredible job of bringing her own fans and people who support her, but, for me, I laugh at it and also accept it because I’ve always flown under the radar. I’ve always That’s how I’ve been. That person is very conservative, very introverted, so now I get to see the other side of it.
Shooting guard Erica Wheeler told reporters that the team needs to be more flexible on forechecking as a result of Clark’s presence this season.
“We all have fun with Caitlin Clark, who never takes anything too seriously,” Wheeler said. “I tell people all the time that she’s really a kid at heart. … There are moments when we need to be serious, and we are serious, but most of the time, we’re having fun Because you have to understand the outside world was actually trying to get inside this building, we didn’t let him do that.”
Fans who came to see Clark in her rookie year got to see the Iowa product break some league records on her way to the WNBA Rookie of the Year award.
She broke the record for most points by a point guard in a single season in WNBA history on the final day of the regular season.
Clark had previously broken the record for most points by a rookie and the league’s single-season assist record.
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Indiana Fever guard Kaitlin Clark (22) smiles at an official during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024, in Indianapolis. (Indianapolis Star-Imagin Images)
As the single-season record holder and league-leader in assists this year, Clark is the youngest player to lead the league in assists.
Clark also led the league in 3-pointers this year, and had the second-most made in a season with 122.
Additionally, she broke the record for most All-Star votes for any player in WNBA history, and became the first rookie to record a triple-double.
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