CAITLIN CLARK’S RETURN SCORES MASSIVE RATINGS ON ABC
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 seven 3-pointers, eight rebounds and nine 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 percent over last season’s average audience for WNBA games on ABC. So far in 2025, viewership is up 15 percent from 2024 across ESPN’s platforms.
Clark, 23, is averaging 21.6 points, 9.2 assists and 6.4 rebounds and shooting 36.7 percent from 3-point range in five starts this season.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft out of Iowa, Clark earned All-Star, All-WNBA and Rookie of the Year honors last season.
GAME RECAP: INDIANA FEVER ADVANCE TO 2025 COMMISSIONER’S CUP FINAL
(FEVER RELEASE)
INDIANAPOLIS (June 17, 2025) — The Indiana Fever (6-5) advanced to the Commissioner’s Cup Final, which will be played on July 1 at the Minnesota Lynx, with an 88-71 win over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday night. With the win, the Fever earned an additional $3,000 for their Commissioner’s Cup beneficiary, Peace Learning Center, bringing their tournament total to $13,000 with a 4-1 record.
Indiana took an early lead with free throws from Natasha Howard, which the Fever maintained throughout the remainder of the quarter, thanks in large part to an additional eight points from Howard. The Fever’s backcourt duo of Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell scored nine and eight points, respectively, in the second quarter to give Indiana 47-39 lead at the halftime break.
The third quarter saw Indiana take a 17-point lead with 21 points scored, limiting the Sun to just 13 points to put the Fever in front 68-52. Seven points from Damiris Dantas in the fourth quarter, along with five from Clark and Sophie Cunningham, capped off the final-clinching win.
POST-GAME PRESS CONFERENCE RECORDING
POST-GAME NOTES
BOX SCORE
Indiana Fever Notes:
- The Fever earned $3,000 for their Commissioner’s Cup beneficiary, Peace Learning Center, bringing their tournament total to $13,000 with a 4-1 record.
- The Indiana Fever advanced to the Commissioner’s Cup Final, where they will face the Minnesota Lynx on July 1 in Minnesota at 8 p.m. ET.
- Natasha Howard recorded her 50th career double-double in the third quarter, finishing the night with 16 points and 12 rebounds. The double-double is Howard’s second of the year.
- Kelsey Mitchell finished the night with 17 points, extending her double-digit scoring streak to 11 games, posting 10+ points in every game so far this season.
Up Next: The Indiana Fever begin a three-game road swing on Thursday, June 19, at expansion side Golden State Valkyries with tip off set for 10 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime Video nationally and WTHR locally.
