The Caitlin Clark effect just won’t quit. After rewriting the record books in college hoops, the Indiana Fever rookie is now out here bending broadcast history. Yep, ESPN just made a bold, unprecedented move. For the first time ever, the network is airing a WNBA preseason game. And of course, it’s all because Clark’s on the court.
It’s not just about basketball anymore. It’s about business. It’s about buzz. And Caitlin Clark’s bringing both.
Fever vs. Brazil? It’s Must-Watch TV Now
Let’s break this down. The Indiana Fever will host the Brazil National Team on May 4 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Yes, Clark’s legendary home base at the University of Iowa. A WNBA preseason game. Normally, that’s low-key stuff. But with Clark on the floor? ESPN slapped it right on the main network.
At 6 p.m. ET on ESPN. Not ESPN2. Not NBA TV. Main ESPN. Unless there’s a Game 7 in the NBA playoffs. Which, fair enough, would bump it to ESPN2. But still. The point remains.
It’s history. It’s hype. And it’s another “first” that lives in Clark’s column.
And get this, the moment tickets dropped, they were gone in 45 minutes. Preseason game. Sold out. Fast. And this is not Clark’s WNBA regular-season game, and she’s already commanding sellouts and prime-time slots.
The Caitlin Clark Effect: Breaking Barriers Again
The hype train for the Fever is straight-up bullet-speed right now. Last season, they were already everywhere. Of the 40 games they played in 2024, 36 were nationally televised. Numbers that no one else in the W could touch.
And this season? The stakes just went up. A wild 41 of the Fever’s 44 regular-season games will be aired nationally.
All eyes are already locked on May 17, the regular-season opener, when the Indiana Fever take on the Chicago Sky and rookie rival Angel Reese live on ABC.
But back to the numbers. WNBA games that featured Clark averaged 1.19 million viewers. The games without her? 394,000. That’s not a trend, that’s a tidal wave. And ESPN knows it.
It makes sense they’d bet on her again. After all, Clark didn’t just elevate women’s basketball. She set new ceilings. Her Final Four showdown against the University of Connecticut brought in 14.2 million viewers, the most in ESPN history for any basketball game, men’s or women’s. And the 2024 national title game? 18.7 million on ABC.
So yeah, if Clark’s on the court, even in a preseason scrimmage, people are watching. Clark hasn’t just arrived. She’s rewriting the rules on what’s possible for women’s hoops. Preseason, postseason, it doesn’t matter. If she’s hoopin’? It’s must-see TV.