The Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream gave the WNBA another major television milestone.
The game resulted in Indiana escaping Atlanta with a 95-91 overtime victory on Sunday. Caitlin Clark scored 26 points and added nine assists. Angel Reese finished with 15 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. It was the Fever’s fourth straight win, pushing their record to 23-12.
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Front Office Sports reported that the matchup drew 2.6 million viewers on ESPN. The high viewership number made it the most-watched WNBA game on cable in league history.
Game viewership this season has jumped 178% from last year’s comparable audience with the game peaking four million viewers.
The numbers add another chapter to the Fever’s remarkable television run.
Indiana has appeared in several of the WNBA’s biggest audiences this season. The July 12 Fever-Las Vegas Aces matchup on NBC and Peacock averaged 2.64 million viewers. The Indiana-New York Liberty game on Aug. 11 on CBS follows with 2.58 million.
Angel Reese continues her rise
The latest Fever-Dream meeting also featured another major star.
Reese has become one of the WNBA’s most recognizable young players. She joined the Dream after they acquired her via a trade with the Chicago Sky in April. Clark and Reese have carried their rivalry from college basketball into the WNBA.
The former LSU standout is converting in 41.8% of field goal attempts, averaging 15.6 points and 12.1 rebounds per game.
Meanwhile, the Fever continue to turn regular-season games into major events. Clark, Reese and the rising WNBA audience have created a combination that networks clearly want.
The three-time All-Star forward is one of the league’s best rebounders, recording 12.6 per game in her pro career. Teaming up with Clark’s agility on court, they give major main character energy.
Now that what makes good TV.
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