The Chicago Sky’s thrilling 88-87 victory over the Indiana Fever on Sunday night produced the highest viewership of a WNBA game since 2001. For the second time in a week, Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark’s third encounter of the 2024 WNBA season attracted record viewing. The growing rivalry between the Sky and Fever has begun to set the WNBA ablaze. Clark vs Reese is breaking records and making names for themselves and new teams.
Viewership Rating
ESPN reports that 2.3 million viewers watched the game on Sunday. Reese recorded a career-high 25 points and 16 rebounds, Clark finished with 17 points and 13 assists, and the Sky overcame a 15-point hole to win. CBS Sports has stated, that the previous match between the teams drew an average of 2.252 million viewers, with a high attendance of nearly 3 million.
Most Watched Game Ever
It was the most-watched WNBA game on ESPN in history. Since 2001, three of the league’s most-watched games have occurred in the first six weeks of the season, with two of those games pitting Clark and the Fever against Reese and the Sky. The other was Clark’s opening-night matchup with the Connecticut Sun.
Sports Media Watch reports that after the league went nearly 16 years without a million viewers. Nine WNBA games this season have already surpassed that milestone.
Reese vs Clark
The best rookies for Indiana and Chicago, are Clark and Reese. Respectively, each recorded a double-double, though in different ways. Reese finished with a career-high 25 points and 16 rebounds, while Clark finished with 17 points and 13 assists. Reese became the third player in the league to attain the milestone and extended her record as the only rookie to have eight consecutive double-doubles.
The Fever, who play the Seattle Storm on Thursday, won their previous four games. Their loss to the Sky on Sunday ends that run. Chicago will welcome the boost in confidence ahead of their game on Thursday night. They will be playing against the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces, who are rising after a sluggish start to the season.
Indiana and Chicago will face each other for the fourth and final time this season on Aug. 30 in another home game for the Sky. Indiana leads the season series 2-1.
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