What happens to WNBA attendance without its biggest draw?
Caitlin Clark’s early playoff exit has put fresh attention on the WNBA’s ability to draw viewers and fans without its biggest recent attraction. Indiana’s elimination leaves four teams competing for the championship, with major stars still driving the postseason story.
The league has also posted record attendance figures and expanded its national television reach beyond Indiana. Now, the remaining playoffs offer a revealing look at just how broad the WNBA’s audience has become.
The Fever finished with a strong record
Indiana finished the regular season 28-16, good for sixth place overall. The Fever defeated Minnesota 96-77 on September 22, but that was not their final regular-season game, as Indiana lost 86-66 at Minnesota on September 24.
Clark scored 27 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in the September 22 victory, which improved Indiana to 28-15 before the final game.
Clark was available for the first round
Clark did not miss Indiana’s entire postseason because of injury in 2026. She played all three first-round games against Las Vegas, including the deciding matchup on October 1.
In Game 3, Clark scored 18 points, collected four assists and four blocks, and committed six turnovers. Las Vegas won 94-83, advancing to the semifinals while Indiana’s season ended.
Her 2026 season included major audiences
Clark remained connected to several of the WNBA’s largest television audiences during the 2026 season. A June 6 Fever-Liberty game averaged 2.56 million viewers on CBS, ranking third among WNBA audiences since 2000.
The game also peaked at 3.02 million viewers. Sports Media Watch later reported that 13 of the largest WNBA audiences over the previous 25 years had involved Clark in some way.
The Fever drew strong audiences without Clark
Indiana also attracted viewers when Clark was not playing. A 2025 Fever-Sky matchup averaged 1.92 million viewers when Clark missed that game because of injury, according to Sports Media Watch’s comparison.
In 2026, the Fever-Sparks game marking Clark’s return from a two-week absence averaged 1.04 million viewers. That audience was USA Network’s top audience of the season and the WNBA’s largest late-night regular-season audience on record.
WNBA attendance has grown beyond Indiana
The WNBA’s attendance growth has not been limited to Indiana or games featuring Clark. In 2025, the league drew 3.1 million fans, up 33% from 2024, while recording 179 sellouts.
The Golden State Valkyries also sold out all 22 regular-season home games during their inaugural 2025 season. Golden State finished with a league-record 18,064 average attendance, showing strong demand outside Indiana.
A new regular-season attendance record arrived
The WNBA set another regular-season attendance record in 2026 when 20,996 fans watched Dallas play Toronto at Montreal’s Bell Centre on July 10. The crowd surpassed the previous regular-season record of 20,711, set during an Indiana game in Washington in 2024.
The Montreal game featured Paige Bueckers and the expansion Toronto Tempo. Neither Clark nor the Fever participated, providing another large crowd outside Indiana’s home market.
The 2026 schedule expanded league exposure
The WNBA’s 2026 regular season featured 15 teams playing 44 games each, creating a record 330-game schedule. The league also announced 216 nationally distributed regular-season games across its broadcast partners.
Those partners included ABC and ESPN, NBC and Peacock, Prime Video, CBS Sports, ION, USA Network, and NBA TV. The expanded distribution gives fans more opportunities to watch teams and players beyond Clark and Indiana.
Interesting fact: Clark had her No. 22 jersey retired by Iowa in 2025, becoming only the third player in program history to receive that honor.
The playoffs moved forward without Indiana
After the first round, the WNBA semifinals featured Atlanta against New York and Golden State against Las Vegas. Indiana’s elimination left those four teams competing for the championship.
The semifinals are best-of-five series, while the Finals are best-of-seven. The playoff structure therefore provides multiple games for the remaining teams after the Fever’s elimination.
Interesting fact: Clark became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 1,000 points, 250 rebounds and 250 assists, doing so in just 54 career games and surpassing Diana Taurasi’s previous mark of 62 games.
Atlanta opened its semifinal series strongly
Atlanta hosted New York in Game 1 of the semifinals on October 4 and won 92-82. The Dream received 25 points from Jordin Canada and forced 21 turnovers, converting them into 32 points. The announced attendance at State Farm Arena was 9,745.
Atlanta then won Game 2 on October 7, defeating New York 101-98 in overtime to take a 2-0 semifinal lead.
Other stars remain in the postseason
The remaining playoff field includes established WNBA stars, including A’ja Wilson with Las Vegas and Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart with New York. Atlanta also features Angel Reese, while Golden State has Gabby Williams.
The WNBA reported that the first round produced notable individual achievements before the semifinals began. Those performances gave the league additional storylines as the postseason continued after Indiana’s elimination.
Clark’s impact can be measured several ways
Clark’s influence on WNBA audiences is documented through television figures and attendance records involving Indiana. The league’s 2024 season, her rookie year, produced 2.35 million total fans and 154 sellouts, while Indiana set a team home-attendance record with 340,715.
League-wide growth continued in 2025, when the WNBA drew 3.1 million fans, up 33% from 2024, while expansion, larger schedules and broader media distribution also increased the league’s reach.
Cunningham’s comments have sparked discussion about how similar situations involving A’ja Wilson are viewed differently. Find out what she said about the perceived double standard in Sophie Cunningham raises double standard claim involving Wilson.
The remaining postseason will provide another test
The 2026 WNBA playoffs continue without Clark or the Fever after Las Vegas eliminated Indiana in three games. The semifinals began October 4, with Atlanta hosting New York and Golden State hosting Las Vegas.
The Finals are scheduled to begin October 17 and will use a best-of-seven format. Audiences recorded during those games will provide new data about postseason demand after the Fever’s early elimination.
Boston’s comments about officiating drew attention, especially after Clark’s reaction added a lighter moment to the discussion. Find out what sparked the exchange in Aliyah Boston says officiating feels different as Caitlin Clark laughs.
Do you think the WNBA can keep drawing big crowds without Caitlin Clark? Like this post and share your take in the comments.
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
Read More From This Brand:
