Caitlin Clark, Fever Achieve Near-Record Viewership in Loss to Wings

Caitlin Clark continues to be a significant draw when it comes to WNBA games, but she had some help in her team’s season-opening matchup, courtesy of the Dallas Wings and their pair of No. 1 picks.

The Wings, featuring last year’s top pick, Paige Bueckers, and this year’s first selection, Azzi Fudd, visited Clark and the Fever to tip off their season. And despite Fudd having a lackluster debut off the bench, Bueckers helped lead the team with 20 points in a 107-104 win to start the season.

Clark also scored 20 points in the losing effort, but her team was unable to hold the lead or tie things up near the final moments of the contest.

Nonetheless, the league and ESPN must be pleased with the results of that huge matchup, with a recent announcement indicating it drew 2.5 million viewers across ESPN networks, the second-most of any WNBA game they’ve presented.

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It continues to highlight Clark’s popularity, who returned fully healthy for her first regular-season game in months. She was on the sidelines for a significant portion of the Fever’s previous season and missed their near-run to the WNBA Finals.

However, she returned to participate in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournament ahead of the season, earning the Most Valuable Player Award.

While Clark receives praise for drawing in viewers, one has to consider that Bueckers and Fudd also brought in many viewers, given that they were previously teammates and champions coached by Geno Auriemma at UConn.

As mentioned, it was a disappointing start to the season for Clark and the Fever, who are now 0-1. However, Indiana remains among the top four teams in terms of the odds to win the WNBA Finals.

A lot of that will depend on the health of their core players, including Sophie Cunningham and Clark, who could further boost their chances after missing last season’s playoff run.

Along with those players, they drafted South Carolina guard Raven Johnson in the first round of the WNBA Draft to upgrade their reserve options.

The Fever have a chance to bounce back when they visit the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday evening.

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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 8:43 PM.