ESPN Announces Big News After Caitlin Clark's 2025 Preseason Debut

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever returned to the WNBA spotlight on May 4 with a stunning preseason game against Brazil. The event took place Clark's collegiate stomping grounds of Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa, and the former Hawkeyes star gave the crowd a show, notching 16 points, six rebounds, five assists and a traditional Clark deep three-pointer.

Following the game, ESPN made a big announcement, and it really shows the star power of Clark. Her preseason debut drew 1.3 million viewers, making it more watched than any NBA preseason game since 2018 and all but 2 NBA preseason games since 2010. It also blew out the viewership for Game 1 of the 2024 WNBA finals.

That 1.3 million number puts Clark in good company, because it's the kind of figure that only NBA star LeBron James has been able to draw during preseason games as of late. According to ESPN VP Flora Kelly, of the 57 NBA preseason games ESPN has broadcast in the last 15 years, the only two that recorded higher viewership than Clark's 2025 debut were games that both featured James, in 2017 and 2018. Kelly called the showing "wonderful for a preseason game."

Don't think that this means the NBA is soft, though. A follower on X who commented at Kelly stated, "The nba has become unwatchable now so they’ll never hit those numbers again," but she begged to differ, stating, "The NBA had its most viewed Playoffs Opening weekend ever."

The WNBA is smartly making sure viewers get to watch Clark as much as possible this season. The league will have 41 out of 44 of the Fever's regular-season games in 2025 nationally televised, which is a record for the WNBA.

So, Clark's sophomore season in the WNBA is finally here, and those who thought interest in the female star would start to dissipate after her rookie season are already being proven wrong.

Related: LeBron James' Wife Turns Heads at Met Gala Without Him