WNBA Television Ratings Way Down Since Caitlin Clark’s Injury: REPORT

“The Caitlin Clark Effect” is REAL!

Indiana Fever phenom Caitlin Clark hasn’t played in her franchise’s past five contests because of a quad injury that she suffered during a May 24 defeat against the New York Liberty.

Even though Chicago Sky loud-mouth Angel Reese and her fans will say the opposite, facts are facts: Caitlin Clark coming back from her injury is very much needed by the WNBA. And that’s because of the latest television ratings, they’ve been absolutely dreadful without Clark’s presence. (RELATED: Angel Reese Seemingly Admits She Lied About Racism Claims)

According to a report from USA Today, Nielsen ratings revealed that “Nationally televised WNBA viewership is down 55 percent since her injury. Fever national TV games are down 53 percent since Clark’s injury – 1,810,000 average viewers before her injury and 847,000 viewers since her injury for Fever national TV games.”

Yikes, and it gets even worse for the WNBA. Not only are TV ratings way down, but so is sports gambling when it comes to Indiana Fever contests. The team’s games have seen a 50% dropoff since Clark’s injury.

In other words, the WNBA NEEDS Caitlin Clark, and there’s no way around it for the league.

WNBA ratings are down over 50% and Indiana Fever games are down 53% with Caitlin Clark out

(via @nypost) pic.twitter.com/eME9ML0Tx9

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) June 12, 2025

This is absolutely insane how one player can control the entire interest level of a league, and quite frankly, a whole sport since we’re talking about women’s basketball.

You’d think at this point I would be numb to “The Caitlin Clark Effect,” she’s always doing legacy ish, but this is truly wild.