How Fever-Aces game made ESPN history
The post How Fever-Aces game made ESPN history appeared first on ClutchPoints.
The WNBA continues to enjoy a surge in popularity. The arrival of Caitlin Clark to the league has undeniably been a tremendous boon for the Indiana Fever and the WNBA. Indiana games are constantly packed with fans, whether they are playing at home or on the road.
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In fact, the Fever have the highest average of fan turnout in road games so far in the 2025 WNBA season, according to Across The Timeline. They are also at the top of the league in average attendance in home and road games combined.
Unsurprisingly, Indiana is also a hit on TV. One proof to support that claim is the numbers shared recently by ESPN about the viewership of last Sunday's game between the Fever and the Las Vegas Aces at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
'The@LVAces' victory over the@IndianaFever on Sunday delivered the 3rd most-watched #WNBA game on ESPN EVER 👏,' ESPN shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The game averaged 1.7 million viewers, or 52 percent better than what WNBA regular-season games on ESPN averaged in 2024. Additionally, the contest topped 2.2 million viewers. Another encouraging data for the WNBA that's shared by ESPN is the 14 percent increase in league coverage across the 'Worldwide Leader in Sports.'
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With the NBA and the NHL now in the offseason portion of their respective calendars and the NFL season still months away, the WNBA can attract even more attention. It helps that Clark is healthy again and available to play after recently missing games with an injury, as she's been a big draw.
As for the Aces game, Clark and the Fever unfortunately suffered an 89-81 loss to A'ja Wilson and the Aces. The former Iowa Hawkeyes superstar guard scored 19 points versus the Aces but was just 7-for-20 from the field and was an atrocious 1-for-10 from behind the arc. She dished out 10 assists but had eight turnovers and finished with a minus-15. Aliyah Boston paced Indiana with 26 points while Kelsey Mitchell had 20.
The 6-7 Fever will next take on the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle this Tuesday night, with the hopes of ending a two-game losing skid.
Related: Sophie Cunningham rocks 'Tres Leches' shirt in support of Caitlin Clark, Lexie Hull
Related: Fever's Sydney Colson sheds tears in 1st return to Aces
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