Caitlin Clark returned to the court after 222 days, and the reception was nothing short of electric. Call it fate or just perfect timing, but her comeback game after a long offseason break happened right where it all began: Carver-Hawkeye Arena. She had skipped the Unrivaled league to focus on her body to recover from the gruelling year. And now, on May 4, Iowa’s favorite daughter came home. A homecoming to remember. A homecoming that, unsurprisingly, broke records once again. At this point, it’s just what Caitlin Clark does.
According to ESPN’s Flora Kelly, the Brazil vs. Fever game drew 1.3 million viewers—a huge number for a preseason matchup. To put that into perspective, only two of ESPN’s 57 NBA preseason games since 2010 have pulled in more viewers. And yes, both involved LeBron James. One was in 2017—Cavs vs. Bulls. The other? 2018—Warriors vs. Lakers. LeBron’s debut preseason with the Lakers.
Lebron & Clark
The Brazil/Fever game came in at 1.3M – wonderful for a preseason game
Only 2 of ESPN’s 57 NBA preseason games since 2010 drew a higher audience & both featured Lebron
2017 Cavs/Bull- the year the Cavs lost the Finals
2018 Warriors/Lakers- after Lebron went to LA
— Flora Kelly (@ESPNFlora) May 6, 2025
(This is a developing news…)
The post Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Homecoming Nearly Eclipses NBA as ESPN’s 1.3M Peak Can’t Top LeBron James’ Lakers Shock appeared first on EssentiallySports.