In her preseason debut against the Brazilian national team on Sunday at Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark made history in a multitude of ways.
Not only was the game at her alma mater, marking the first WNBA game to be played there, but it was also one of the four WNBA preseason games to be nationally televised this year.
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The Fever went on to win 108-44 with Clark pouring in 16 points, five assists and six rebounds in front of a sellout crowd that paid an average of $650 per ticket. The game also drew a major audience, as ESPN’s PR account revealed the game averaged 1.3 million viewers.
A mark that WNBA legend Rebecca Lobo put into perspective by comparing it to the NBA, as only two preseason games have outrated Clark’s return to Iowa. Interestingly enough, they both involved LeBron James.
The first of the two was when James made his Lakers preseason debut in 2018, while the other came when his Cleveland Cavaliers took on the Chicago Bulls in 2017.
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In addition to the game drawing massive viewership, ESPN also revealed that its pregame show “WNBA Countdown,” averaged 571,000 viewers. A mark that was a 71% increase from ESPN’s average last season.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22).Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
It isn’t a secret that Clark is popular by any means, as she was at the center of just about every conversation during her rookie year which saw her be named an WNBA All-Star and win WNBA Rookie of the Year. However, with a better supporting cast around her and a year of experience under her belt, Clark and the Fever are expected to make a deep run this WNBA season.
She and the Fever will finish preseason play on Saturday against the Atlanta Dream before opening the regular season against the Chicago Sky.
Related: Paige Bueckers Confesses Lingering ‘Sick’ Feeling Towards Old Caitlin Clark Game
