The W’s preseason may be just heating up, but Angel Reese’s mom has already sparked a firestorm. It all unfolded after her daughter returned to LSU’s arena for a preseason matchup against the Brazilian national team. As always, Angel Webb Reese didn’t hold back. She’d make a cryptic tweet, triggering a few of Clark’s fans. But would her remark really compare?
While fans were busy checking the attendance numbers—Reese’s return to Baton Rouge versus Caitlin Clark’s homecoming at Iowa—Webb dropped a not-so-subtle message on X: “Aww that certain fan base looking in the stands celebrating ‘attendance’ while others are looking up in the rafters celebrating championship banners.” It was a clear jab at Clark and the Hawkeyes, whose 2023 Final Four run was cut short by Reese’s LSU squad. Well, no denying that fact, but the numbers do settle one debate.
To begin with, the attendance at the Sky vs Brazil game stood at 6,373 while the Carver-Hawkeye Arena witnessed all of its nearly 15,000 seats filled. They had reportedly shown up 90 minutes before the game, covering the arena in a sea of red and 22s. And Clark didn’t disappoint either. She pulled up from 36 feet and sank a three-pointer that instantly went viral. And more numbers followed.
The Sky vs Brazil game pulled in 305,000 viewers on ION. Then there’s also Paige Bueckers, a rookie already predicted by some to rival Clark’s star power. Her debut game against the Aces averaged 406,000 on the same network. But the real jaw-dropping numbers came with the Indiana vs Brazil preseason game in Iowa.
Caitlin Clark & Co. drew an average of 1.3 million viewers on ESPN, peaking at 1.6 million—a new record for the most-watched WNBA preseason game ever. And here’s more proof of Clark’s unmatched magnetism—her preseason game resulted in a 13% increase over the WNBA’s average regular season viewership on ESPN last year.
“Caitlin Clark’s return to Iowa averaged more views than Paige Bueckers first game and Angel Reese’s return to LSU combined. And doubled. There is only one needle mover in the WNBA,” one of the X users declared. But if that hadn’t said enough to settle the talks, Rachel DeMita had more to add.
Caitlin Clark’s return to Iowa averaged more views than Paige Bueckers first game and Angel Reese’s return to LSU combined. And doubled. There is only one needle mover in the WNBA. https://t.co/Q1cz1ep48q
— suns (@antivirgosuns) May 6, 2025
“Since 2010, only two NBA preseason games have outrated this one,” the podcaster says, citing WNBA legend Rebecca Lobo. So who could possibly outdraw Clark?
Only a GOAT can beat a GOAT—and that happens to be LeBron James. The most-watched NBA preseason game happened on October 10, 2018, when LeBron made his Lakers debut against the Golden State Warriors. That game pulled in nearly 2 million viewers on ESPN, setting the all-time NBA preseason record. And the runner-up? Also LeBron—during a 2017 Bulls vs. Cavs preseason clash following his Finals loss. That recorded 1.37 million. You see the weight of that?
“Who thought that we would see the day where WNBA numbers were overtaking the NBA numbers? I predict that this is going to be something that happens for the entirety of the WNBA season, especially with this Indiana Fever team,” DeMita relishes.
LeBron James may hold the crown now, but we cannot overlook the storm Clark has already created; one enough to surpass the men’s record previously.
Even Goat LeBron James agrees to Caitlin Clark’s influence!
Clark has been an absolute game-changer when it comes to her ability to draw attention both on and off the court. It all started with the 2024 NCAA Championship between Iowa and South Carolina. “Caitlin Clark is the sole reason why viewership has shot through the roof for our game,” shared South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley. Her words weren’t without weight—after all, the game drew over 18.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched basketball game, men’s or women’s, since 2019. Even more impressively, it was the first time a women’s NCAA final outdrew the men’s championship.
Even LeBron didn’t hesitate to acknowledge her influence: “Caitlin Clark is the reason we tuned in,” he said. That was the kind of hype Clark carried with her into the WNBA. And when she made her professional debut, she didn’t disappoint.
Her WNBA opener became another milestone—her debut game against Connecticut Suns turned into the most-watched WNBA game since 2001, pulling in an average of 2.13 million viewers, and setting the all-time record for a WNBA game aired on ESPN platforms.
Now, here she is in Year 2—and the regular season hasn’t even started yet. So, simply put: more of Clark’s dominance is on the way.
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