Caitlin Clark’s Return Draws 76% More Viewers Than Paige Bueckers-A’ja Wilson 2025 Pre-Season Opener

Caitlin Clark is still drawing more fans to the WNBA than she did previously in her rookie and sophomore seasons.

Caitlin Clark’s Return Draws 76% More Viewers Than Paige Bueckers-A’ja Wilson 2025 Pre-Season Opener

A'ja Wilson, Paige Bueckers, and Caitlin Clark (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • Caitlin Clark's return to the WNBA has led to a 76% increase in viewership for preseason games.
  • The Indiana Fever's preseason game against the New York Liberty peaked at 822,000 viewers, setting a record for ION.
  • Critics of Clark's impact on the league are challenged by the significant growth in fan engagement during her return.

Throughout her rookie season, the majority of fans and the media were sure that Caitlin Clark was the reason the WNBA was experiencing a massive growth in fan following.

Millions tuned in to watch her play for the Indiana Fever, and so did many who spent their hard-earned money to buy tickets to their games.

The hype started to spread across the league, and they grew faster than any brand in the nation. Still, there were some who discredited her at every turn.

They argued that the WNBA was already growing at a fast pace, and it was not just because of Caitlin Clark. Last season, that logic received some supporting evidence when more than a million fans tuned in to the 2025 WNBA Finals.

The Fever were booted out in the semis. That led those fans and some media members to claim with facts that the league was growing even without the so-called ‘golden goose.’

No matter how many fans the Iowa native was pulling, even while injured, her critics were winning the battle. But then, the 2026 season arrived, and the Indiana Fever started their preseason against the New York Liberty.

According to the WNBA’s data, broadcast partner ION registered 743,000 viewers for that game, peaking at 822,000. That happens to be the most-watched preseason game in the network’s history.

But the number that really mattered was the staggering 76% growth since ION’s first preseason game from last season. That game featured the league’s best player in A’ja Wilson battling against No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers.

Maybe this is the proof that Caitlin Clark’s draw towers over everyone else. The numbers prove that her presence alone is enough to draw fans to preseason games.

Caitlin Clark-Paige Bueckers’ preseason game should blow those numbers out of the water

When Caitlin Clark returned to the court after eight months of not playing on a WNBA court, she led her teammates to win against the Liberty at Barclays Center.

Caitlin Clark and Breanna Stewart during the preseason game
Caitlin Clark and Breanna Stewart during the preseason game (Image via Erica f455/X)

The Fever’s next two preseason games are at home. The last one is against the Nigerian national team, which might not excite enough fans to fill out Gainbridge Fieldhouse. But the second game is against Paige Bueckers and her Dallas Wings.

The league is already excited for their highly anticipated regular-season clash. This preseason game might not see them going full throttle. They might not even play half a game.

But for the Fever and WNBA faithful, those few minutes of action between two young superstars should be enough motivation for fans to either make it to the arena or tune in on their television sets.

ION will also be broadcasting that game. Considering the star power, expect the network to experience even better numbers than when Caitlin Clark battled Sabrina Ionescu.

Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever’s vibes are good this season

When Caitlin Clark first came into the WNBA, she faced criticism over her alleged high-headedness. Former players claimed that the Fever locker room was not in sync with the fan following she enjoyed.

But her teammates knew she was nothing as those claims suggested, and continued to build the team. Even some current players, who had criticized the Fever fan base over racism, joined the franchise to understand what the hype was about.

They eventually were won over, as did the rest of the league at the All-Star weekend. They realized how easy-going and down-to-earth the Hawkeye great is.

In fact, Caitlin Clark was credited for helping build good chemistry, something that worked wonders when they overcame injuries to reach the playoff semifinals.

This season, the naysayers were back, suggesting that drafting Raven Johnson would upset the locker room vibes. She and the two-time All-Star have history. But so far, they have been gelling, and the pictures and videos from the Fever’s facilities show them in high spirits.

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