Caitlin Clark's return Saturday after a five-game injury absence was ESPN's third-most-watched WNBA game ever on ABC.
The Indiana Fever star, sidelined since May 24 with a left quadriceps strain, scored a season-high 32 points with 7 3-pointers, 8 rebounds and 9 assists in a 102-88 victory against the previously unbeaten New York Liberty in Indianapolis.
The Fever's win against the defending WNBA champions drew an average of 2.2 million viewers with a peak of 2.8 million, according to Nielsen numbers released Tuesday by ESPN.
That average was up a whopping 76% over last season's average audience for WNBA games on ABC. So far in 2025, viewership is up 15% from 2024 across ESPN's platforms.
Clark, 23, is averaging 21.6 points, 9.2 assists and 6.4 rebounds and shooting 36.7% from 3-point range in five starts this season.
The No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft out of Iowa, Clark earned All-Star, All-WNBA and Rookie of the Year honors last season.