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Caitlin Clark is driving WNBA ratings, and they’re hurting with her sitting on the sidelines. Last year, Angel Reese tried to argue that Clark wasn’t the sole reason why the WNBA ratings were up.
“We got celebrities coming to games. Sold out arenas…The reason why we’re watching women’s basketball is not just because of 1 person. It’s because of me, too. I want y’all to realize that.”
Angel Reese:
“We got celebrities coming to games. Sold out arenas…The reason why we’re watching women’s basketball is not just because of 1 person. It’s because of me, too. I want y’all to realize that.”
(via @GNSportsTV, h/t @ClutchPoints)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 3, 2024
Unfortunately for Reese, the data does not agree with her comments.
On May 24th, Clark went down with a quad injury during the Fever’s game against the NY Liberty. Clark has missed five games since suffering the injury, and the WNBA’s ratings have plummeted.
According to USA Today, WNBA ratings have dropped by more than 50 percent since Clark’s injury.
The league’s TV ratings have declined with Clark sidelined.
Nationally televised WNBA viewership is down 55% since her injury, according to Nielsen.
Fever national TV games are down 53% since Clark’s injury – 1,810,000 average viewers before her injury and 847,000 viewers since her injury for Fever national TV games.
It’s currently unclear when Clark will return, but she was recently allowed to resume practice, although she has not been cleared for full basketball activities.