The WNBA is beginning to feel the growing pains of its rapid expansion. The injuries have catapulted the season into a crisis that the league needs to solve. The effect is enhanced when it comes to eye-ball catching stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. Both missed huge chunks of the season, which limited the growth. The 2025 WNBA season averaged 969,000 viewers across ESPN networks, Ion, and CBS, a marginal 3% increase in viewership relative to last year, according to Sports Media Watch. However, the same fate has not carried over to the postseason with the Fever’s growth stalled without Caitlin Clark.
As the “Caitlin Clark effect” fades with her off the court, the Fever were the victims of their own success. In the regular season, all 4 games featured Clark, including the season’s most-watched game: the opener between the Fever and Chicago Sky that drew 2.7 million viewers. So, the playoff numbers were bound to fall, but Caitlin Clark’s biographer, Christine Brennan, saw a silver lining.
“Playoff TV with/without Caitlin Clark: Last year, Fever Game 1 with CC: 1.84 mil viewers on ABC. This year, Game 1 without CC: 951,000 on ABC. Three other games on ESPN in 2024: 403K, 410K, 461K. This year: 680K, 481K, 476K,” She wrote. For the Fever, that is a 47% fall from their Sun match-up last year, but as Brennan noted, there is growth hidden in these numbers, “Progress, but still shows massive importance of CC.”
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We have discussed the WNBA’s dependence on Clark more times than I can count. The Fever’s attendance in 2025 has decreased, too, going from 17,535 to 16,560. There is a drop, but the numbers are still better than any other game on the same day, and Caitlin Clark’s absence is not the only reason. Here is a detailed outlook on this year’s playoffs.
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The WNBA playoffs clashed with Week 2 of the NFL season, including the 4:25 p.m. ET Super Bowl LIX rematch between the Chiefs and Eagles, which delivered historic viewership with an average of 33.8 million viewers. That is already the most-watched Week 2 game in NFL history, naturally impacting the WNBA and the Fever numbers too. It took away the hardcore NFL fans who also follow the WNBA, as they would even tune in for a preview of such an important game. Considering the situation, the viewership is much better than what could have been. The WNBA has endured the worst concerning Caitlin Clark’s injury, and the numbers will catch up in 2026.
How Caitlin Clark’s Setback Primes a 2026 WNBA Boom
2025 set or neared attendance records leaguewide, with the Fever and expansion Golden State Valkyries among the top drivers. While it was slightly withdrawn with Clark’s absence, the growth has continued upwards. The league has even set an attendance record in fewer games than the last one. The league’s 13 teams have drawn a total of 2,501,609 fans over 226 games this season, surpassing the previous mark that was set in 2002 when the league had 16 teams and they took 256 games. The surge has continued, and Clark’s comeback arc could bring a 2024-style spike in 2026.
Caitlin Clark was limited to only 13 games in 2025 with multiple soft tissue injuries. Clark struggled with shooting droughts when she was on the court. As you expect from an injured player, the metrics dropped, and rival fans pounced. Clark’s shot diet and giveaways stayed under the microscope; some critiques carried over, others escalated in 2025.
The final blow to her injury-ridden season was the right groin injury, after which she wrote an emotional post, ruling herself out. “I spent hours in the gym every day with the singular goal of getting back out there. Disappointed isn’t a big enough word to describe how I am feeling.” And if we know Clark, she is raring for a big comeback in 2026. Just days after being officially out, she wrote, “Miss this so bad.” The arc is perfectly set up for Caitlin Clark to become 2026’s comeback story.
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And who doesn’t love that? This adds interest to the 2026 season, which will have two new teams as opposed to 1 in 2025. The Golden State Valkyries have set a high bar for expansion teams of Toronto and Portland. However, the expansion adds viewers and interest in those cities, bringing more hype. Then there are the storylines of Paige Bueckers, who will enter her sophomore season. Angel Reese’s drama in Chicago only pours gas on the league’s interest bonfire.