The showdown between the Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings, featuring the last four No. 1 draft picks, drew massive attention as fans anticipated a high-stakes matchup. Caitlin Clark faced off against Paige Bueckers, two of the league’s most electrifying point guards, while Azzi Fudd made her WNBA debut. The return of the Clark-Aliyah Boston pick-and-roll, seen only in 13 games during 2025, added another layer of excitement. The game lived up to its billing, breaking records and cementing its place in WNBA history.
Caitlin Clark’s influence continues to reshape the league, with the “Caitlin Clark effect” driving unprecedented viewership. All four of the most-watched games since her arrival feature Clark. The All-Star Game experienced a 34% drop in ratings without her, falling from 3.44 million to 2.19 million viewers. Her return to the court, paired with a formidable rival, delivered a major milestone for ESPN.
The May 9 Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings game averaged 2.5 million viewers on ESPN Networks, making it the second most-watched regular-season game in WNBA history. This figure is particularly notable given the early afternoon tip-off at 1 PM ET. Clark and Bueckers each scored 20 points, continuing a rivalry dating back to high school. The Fever narrowly lost 107-104, missing two buzzer-beaters in a historic opener where both teams scored 100 points for the first time in league history.
Last year’s Bueckers-Clark matchup averaged 2.1 million viewers with a peak of 2.5 million, showing clear growth. However, the early time slot may have limited viewership compared to the 2025 opener between the Fever and Chicago Sky, which drew 2.7 million viewers. Still, the game outperformed other opening weekend contests: the Suns-Mercury averaged 1.15 million, while the Aces vs. Sparks drew 529,000 on May 10, up 18% from last year’s cable average.
The WNBA is coming off its most-viewed regular season on ESPN, averaging 1.3 million viewers across 25 games in 2025, a 6% increase over the previous record of 1.2 million. With a new media deal worth over $3.1 billion now in effect, the league is poised for further growth.
The league’s expansion beyond the Indiana Fever is also gaining momentum. The Toronto Tempo’s debut game against the Washington Mystics became the most-watched WNBA regular-season game ever in Canada, reaching 1 million viewers on TSN and CTV2—roughly 1 in 40 Canadians. While opening games typically draw higher numbers, this signals strong potential for the league’s international reach.