When anyone talks about how Caitlin Clark will top her rookie year in the W, they are not only talking about how she will upskill. Inside, they are pondering over ways she will bring more to the league, far more than the 26.5% of the revenue she drove last year. Well, Sports economist Ryan Brewer called her potential impact in 2025 “quite impressive,” saying, “If things just go as they were, and we have an expanded season of 22 home games with modest inflation, I’m looking at $875 [million]…And I could easily see that eclipsing a billion dollars on the economic impact of Caitlin Clark this year.” But as it seems, the league has been proficient at gradually chopping off its nose to spite its face, so Brewer might want to hold off on those billion-dollar projections—at least for now.
Ever since Caitlin Clark suffered a left quad injury during a game against the New York Liberty, attendance and ticket prices at Indiana Fever games, once the hottest in town, have taken a nosedive. The Fever, now standing at 4-5, lost not only their offensive spark plug but also a chunk of their momentum. Meanwhile, opposing teams that had expanded their arenas to host the expected surge of Clark-led crowds are now facing empty seats.
Just look at the numbers. For the first four games Clark missed, ticket prices dropped drastically, from an average of $137 down to $80. And it’s not just the in-arena experience that’s hurting. Even, National viewership has seen a steep 55% decline. Fever games are averaging just 847,000 viewers per game now, compared to the 1.81 million average before Clark’s injury. That’s the kind of influence she holds over the league. But Clark’s absence isn’t the only reason fans are tuning out.
According to national analyst Rachel DeAmita, the drop in interest runs deeper, and the WNBA itself shares some of the blame. “I felt like the league mishandled so many things last season, especially with Caitlin Clark and her fan base,” DeAmita said. “And when you think about how many people stopped watching after she got injured—it’s because they’re boycotting the WNBA.” Well, that might sound like a bold claim, but DeAmita backs it up with receipts. And honestly, we do not even need those receipts after the drama that’s been unfolding.
May 24, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) celebrates after scoring a 3-pointer during a game between the Indiana Fever and the New York Liberty at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Grace Smith/USA Today Network via Imagn Images
Remember last year? Caitlin Clark suffered 17% of all Flagrant 1 fouls in the league. And the moment that ignited it all was her infamous run-in with the Chicago Sky’s Chennedy Carter, which was initially called a common foul before being upgraded after backlash. From there, things only got worse. Clark took a brutal hit from DiJonai Carrington, leaving her with a bruised eye. In fact, every one of the six Flagrant 1 fouls committed in the WNBA up to that point had been against Clark. So naturally, fans were outraged.
But when they voiced their frustrations, many felt silenced. “While we welcome a growing fan base, the WNBA will not tolerate racist, derogatory, or threatening comments made about players, teams, and anyone affiliated with the league,” the WNBA shared in a statement last year. Well, this came after Connecticut Sun All-Star Alyssa Thomas accused Fever fans of making racist remarks during the playoffs and called on the league to take action.
The accusations tagged along this year as well after what was supposed to be a feel-good season opener. Fouls and techs were fired, but more importantly, allegation of racial slurs that HAD to be investigated. Two weeks passed before the league passed any judgment and when they did? Nothing.
The league finally admitted they could not find any evidence to launch into action, saying, “We have investigated the report of racist fan behavior in the vicinity of the court during the May 17, 2025, Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever game..Based on information gathered to date, including from relevant fans, team, and arena staff, as well as audio and video review of the game, we have not substantiated it.” Now, we all know that racism is something that has been there from Clark’s fans. We have all read the twitter and Reddit comments.
However, to reduce a fanbase to that and to label them ‘toxic’? That’s the sort of generalisation that is not going to work for anyone who wishes for WNBA’s development. Caitlin Clark has herself made the distinction, saying, “Those aren’t fans, those are trolls”. So, why could not the league? “But there are a lot of really good fans, whether they’ve been fans for 20-plus years, or whether they’re new fans in our league,” CC continued.
The league and the media really need to stop playing on both sides of the field. They cannot bank on the “negative” and “so-called rivalry” narratives that feed the “so-called” fans and also say that they are very “woke”. And to quote their biggest asset again, “I think continuing to uplift this league in a very positive light is the best thing that we can do because there are so many great players. There are so many great teams. There are so many positive storylines that can be written and celebrated, and for me that’s why I became a fan of this league“.
Talking about how right fans needed to be treated right, there is another aspect worth looking into. One that is playing its quite part in affecting the viewership numbers.
With a packed schedule and rising injuries, fans’ eyes dwindle at W!
For WNBA fans, the 2025 season was expected to be a major hit, especially with the league expanding to a 44-game schedule. But just nine games into the season, it’s already taken a significant blow in terms of viewership and attendance. Why? While the league added more games, it seemingly forgot to extend the length of the season, and that’s starting to show.
Take Wednesday, for example. There were three high-stakes matchups: the LA Sparks vs. Aces, the Minnesota Lynx vs. Seattle Storm, and the Wings vs. Mercury. And all of them were highly anticipated. While the Wings game marked the return of rookie star Paige Bueckers after missing three games due to a concussion, the Sparks game had Kelsey Plum facing her former team, and the Lynx suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of the Storm.
So clearly, these were games fans wouldn’t want to miss, but because of the packed schedule, it’s all getting lost in the shuffle. And it’s not just the fans who are suffering; players are feeling the impact too.
“Other teams have like three back-to-backs. There are a lot of things that we could clean up in terms of scheduling, but we persevered and showed that we can do it. It’s just something that, obviously, over the course of a long season, is really hard to do,” shared Satou Sabally. And honestly, it makes total sense. More and more players are getting injured across the league. Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, DiJonai Carrington, A’ja Wilson, the list keeps growing. Almost every team has someone sidelined.
So when people ask why fans aren’t tuning in like they expected? Well, there are your answers.
The post WNBA Facing the Fallout of Its Own Missteps as Caitlin Clark’s Absence Fuels Viewership Crisis, Per National Reporter appeared first on EssentiallySports.