Fever-Sky Draws 1.5M Viewers Despite Clark, Reese Absences

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese both missed Sunday’s game between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky due to injury—and the game still drew viewership numbers the league would’ve only dreamed of less than two years ago.

Sunday’s game between the Fever and Sky drew 1.5 million viewers on ABC, the fourth-most-watched game on the network this year. The game tipped off at 3 p.m. ET. 

The numbers are down from the first two regular-season meetings this year between the two Midwest rivals. The Fever and Sky faced off in their respective season openers on May 17 in Indiana, and the game drew 2.7 million viewers on ABC—the most-watched WNBA game, regular-season or playoffs, since Clark and Reese were drafted. 

On June 27, the two sides sold out the United Center in Chicago for the first time and drew 1.92 million viewers on CBS—despite Clark missing the game due to a left groin injury. 

Despite the drop-off, the number shows how the WNBA’s continued growth since the arrival of the 2024 draft class has rubbed off on the rest of the league. The game was the sixth-most-watched regular-season game ever on ABC and about double the viewership average of the 2023 WNBA Finals (728,000). 

The numbers also mirror the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game less than two weeks ago, which drew 2.19 million viewers. Viewership dipped 36% with Clark out, but it was still the second-most-watched All-Star Game ever—and exponentially higher than 2023’s 850,000 viewers. 

The two sides will battle twice more this season, both times in Indiana. They play next on Saturday, Aug. 9 on CBS, then again on Sept. 5, in a game that will air on Ion.

It’s unclear whether the stars will be available for those games. Clark missed her 13th game of the season due to injury, and the Fever have not provided a timeline for her return. Reese missed her second straight game, though she is expected to return soon as she is listed as day-to-day.