Sports
WNBA - English
Caitlin Clark’s second WNBA season hasn’t officially started yet, but she’s already breaking records.
After sitting out the Indiana Fever’s Saturday preseason game as a precaution due to leg tightness, Clark returned to action Sunday-on very familiar ground. Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, the same court where she became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I history, was packed once again to see her take the floor, this time as a pro.
The opponent? The Brazilian National Team. The result? A 108-44 Fever rout. Clark delivered a sharp 16 points, six rebounds, and five assists in just 16 minutes. But the real story wasn’t the scoreboard-it was who was watching.
Caitlin Clark’s return to Iowa sets WNBA viewership record
Game Recap: Nuggets 121, Thunder 119
On Tuesday, ESPN dropped a surprising number: 1.3 million viewers tuned in to the preseason broadcast. That makes it the most-watched WNBA preseason game of all time, and even more impressively, it outdrew all but two NBA preseason games since 2010.
The broadcast peaked at 1.6 million viewers, according to Sports Media Watch, continuing a now-familiar trend: when Clark plays, fans show up. It was the 34th WNBA broadcast in the last year to top 1 million viewers-and Clark featured in 26 of them (Front Office Sports).
This was more than a welcome-back game. It was a moment. For Clark, it marked a return to her roots. For the league, it was another sign that the surge in interest around women’s basketball isn’t fading-it’s growing.
“The energy around her is different,” said ESPN analyst Andraya Carter. “She doesn’t just bring attention-she keeps it.”
The Fever close out the preseason this Saturday against the Atlanta Dream. Then, the real test begins: Clark and Indiana tip off the regular season on May 17 against the Chicago Sky.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
NFL live scores: Follow latest from Bills vs. Falcons and Bears vs. Commanders today
Hello football fans, and welcome to The Athletic’s live coverage tonight's “Monday Night Football” doubleheader as the Atlanta Falcons host the Buffalo Bills and the Washington Commanders host the Chicago Bears.Both Chicago and Atlanta are coming off bye weeks, while Washington beat the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 5 and Buffalo fell to New England at home on “Sunday Night Football.”Follow along throughout the day for live updates and real-time expert analysis from The Athletic’s crew of NFL writers on the ground at both Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Northwest Stadium.
Falcons vs. Bills prediction: Can Michael Penix Jr. keep pace with Josh Allen in prime-time matchup?
In the first of two Week 6 "Monday Night Football" games, the Atlanta Falcons play host to the Buffalo Bills.Atlanta is fresh off its bye week, and enters this game with a 2-2 record. The Falcons bounced back pre-bye with a win over the Commanders after they had been embarrassingly shut out by the Panthers the week before. With the Buccaneers distancing themsleves in the division race, Atlanta needs victories to keep pace and to maintain positioning for a potential wild card run down the stretch of the year.Buffalo, meanwhile, is coming off its firs loss of the season. The Bills were dropped at home by the division rival Patriots, who took advantage of three uncharacteristic Buffalo turnovers. The Bills had been 4-0 coming into that game, stacking a trio of multi-score wins on top of their rollicking Week 1 […]
Bears vs. Commanders prediction: Can Caleb Williams strike back in NFC rematch with Jayden Daniels?
When the Chicago Bears met the Washington Commanders in the 2024 NFL season, fans of both sides were treated to a stunner: Bears fans lamented that Caleb Williams' late-game comeback efforts were for naught, while Commanders fans heralded Jayden Daniels a sort of magical hero after the quarterback launched a picture-perfect Hail Mary for a walk-off touchdown.Now, after much ado, it's time for their anticipated rematch. Williams has a new partner in coach Ben Johnson, who's opened his first season atop Chicago's staff on a 2-2 stretch and is eyeing a third straight victory. Daniels, meanwhile, just returned from a knee sprain in Week 5 to lead Washington past the Los Angeles Chargers. When he's healthy, the Commanders are still viewed as one of the NFC's top contenders, even with fellow standouts like Terry McLaurin nursing their own injuries.Can Williams […]
Sandy Alomar Sr. dies at 81: Former MLB player, coach was father of Roberto and Sandy Jr.
Getty Images Sandy Alomar Sr., a former All-Star infielder and father of major-leaguers Sandy Alomar Jr. and Roberto Alomar, has died, Major League Baseball announced on Monday. Alomar Sr. was to turn 82 years of age on Oct. 19. Alomar, a native of Puerto Rico, first signed with the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent in 1960 and went on to spend parts of 15 seasons in MLB, six of which came with the California Angels. Over that span, he batted .245/.290/.288 with 1,168 hits and 227 stolen bases. With the Angels in 1970, he earned his only All-Star selection. Alomar Sr. also played in the World Series as a member of the 1976 New York Yankees, and spent playing time with the Chicago White Sox, New York Mets and Texas Rangers. Sons Sandy and Roberto combined for 18 All-Star […]
Erin Campaneris, the model who is the mother of Mark Sanchez’s son, breaks her silence
The controversy surrounding former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez escalated even further after the mother of his child, model Erin Campaneris, broke her silence following the recent incident and arrest of the former player in Indianapolis.Sanchez, 38, who is currently a Fox Sports analyst, was booked into an Indianapolis jail a week ago following an alleged altercation. Following the events, Campaneris, with whom he shares eight-year-old son Daniel, took to social media to address the situation for the first time.Cam Newton's jersey retirement: Auburn honors the Heisman legendMark Sanchez's baby mama breaks her silenceIn her statement, the model emphasized that her "primary focus has always been and will continue to be our eight-year-old son Daniel." She explained that she had remained silent to protect the child, but after the details became public, her focus has not changed."Unfortunately, none of this is […]
Pokal-Irrsinn – Hunderte Fans feiern Dorf-Klub bei Hansa Rostock
Wir haben personalisierte Videos für dich! Um mit Inhalten von Drittanbietern zu interagieren oder diese darzustellen, brauchen wir deine Zustimmung. externen Inhalt aktivieren Um eingebettete Inhalte anzuzeigen, ist Ihre jederzeit widerrufliche Einwilligung (über den Schalter oder über " Widerruf Tracking und Cookies " am Seitenende) zur Verarbeitung personenbezogener Daten nötig. Dabei können Daten in Drittländer wie die USA übermittelt werden (Art. 49 Abs. 1 lit. a DSGVO). Mit dem Aktivieren des Inhalts stimmen Sie zu. Weitere Infos finden Sie hier.
Related
NFL live scores: Follow latest from Bills vs. Falcons and Bears vs. Commanders today
Hello football fans, and welcome to The Athletic’s live coverage tonight's “Monday Night Football” doubleheader as the Atlanta Falcons host the Buffalo Bills and the Washington Commanders host the Chicago Bears.Both Chicago and Atlanta are coming off bye weeks, while Washington beat the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 5 and Buffalo fell to New England at home on “Sunday Night Football.”Follow along throughout the day for live updates and real-time expert analysis from The Athletic’s crew of NFL writers on the ground at both Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Northwest Stadium.
Falcons vs. Bills prediction: Can Michael Penix Jr. keep pace with Josh Allen in prime-time matchup?
In the first of two Week 6 "Monday Night Football" games, the Atlanta Falcons play host to the Buffalo Bills.Atlanta is fresh off its bye week, and enters this game with a 2-2 record. The Falcons bounced back pre-bye with a win over the Commanders after they had been embarrassingly shut out by the Panthers the week before. With the Buccaneers distancing themsleves in the division race, Atlanta needs victories to keep pace and to maintain positioning for a potential wild card run down the stretch of the year.Buffalo, meanwhile, is coming off its firs loss of the season. The Bills were dropped at home by the division rival Patriots, who took advantage of three uncharacteristic Buffalo turnovers. The Bills had been 4-0 coming into that game, stacking a trio of multi-score wins on top of their rollicking Week 1 […]
Bears vs. Commanders prediction: Can Caleb Williams strike back in NFC rematch with Jayden Daniels?
When the Chicago Bears met the Washington Commanders in the 2024 NFL season, fans of both sides were treated to a stunner: Bears fans lamented that Caleb Williams' late-game comeback efforts were for naught, while Commanders fans heralded Jayden Daniels a sort of magical hero after the quarterback launched a picture-perfect Hail Mary for a walk-off touchdown.Now, after much ado, it's time for their anticipated rematch. Williams has a new partner in coach Ben Johnson, who's opened his first season atop Chicago's staff on a 2-2 stretch and is eyeing a third straight victory. Daniels, meanwhile, just returned from a knee sprain in Week 5 to lead Washington past the Los Angeles Chargers. When he's healthy, the Commanders are still viewed as one of the NFC's top contenders, even with fellow standouts like Terry McLaurin nursing their own injuries.Can Williams […]
Sandy Alomar Sr. dies at 81: Former MLB player, coach was father of Roberto and Sandy Jr.
Getty Images Sandy Alomar Sr., a former All-Star infielder and father of major-leaguers Sandy Alomar Jr. and Roberto Alomar, has died, Major League Baseball announced on Monday. Alomar Sr. was to turn 82 years of age on Oct. 19. Alomar, a native of Puerto Rico, first signed with the Milwaukee Braves as an amateur free agent in 1960 and went on to spend parts of 15 seasons in MLB, six of which came with the California Angels. Over that span, he batted .245/.290/.288 with 1,168 hits and 227 stolen bases. With the Angels in 1970, he earned his only All-Star selection. Alomar Sr. also played in the World Series as a member of the 1976 New York Yankees, and spent playing time with the Chicago White Sox, New York Mets and Texas Rangers. Sons Sandy and Roberto combined for 18 All-Star […]
Erin Campaneris, the model who is the mother of Mark Sanchez’s son, breaks her silence
The controversy surrounding former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez escalated even further after the mother of his child, model Erin Campaneris, broke her silence following the recent incident and arrest of the former player in Indianapolis.Sanchez, 38, who is currently a Fox Sports analyst, was booked into an Indianapolis jail a week ago following an alleged altercation. Following the events, Campaneris, with whom he shares eight-year-old son Daniel, took to social media to address the situation for the first time.Cam Newton's jersey retirement: Auburn honors the Heisman legendMark Sanchez's baby mama breaks her silenceIn her statement, the model emphasized that her "primary focus has always been and will continue to be our eight-year-old son Daniel." She explained that she had remained silent to protect the child, but after the details became public, her focus has not changed."Unfortunately, none of this is […]
Pokal-Irrsinn – Hunderte Fans feiern Dorf-Klub bei Hansa Rostock
Wir haben personalisierte Videos für dich! Um mit Inhalten von Drittanbietern zu interagieren oder diese darzustellen, brauchen wir deine Zustimmung. externen Inhalt aktivieren Um eingebettete Inhalte anzuzeigen, ist Ihre jederzeit widerrufliche Einwilligung (über den Schalter oder über " Widerruf Tracking und Cookies " am Seitenende) zur Verarbeitung personenbezogener Daten nötig. Dabei können Daten in Drittländer wie die USA übermittelt werden (Art. 49 Abs. 1 lit. a DSGVO). Mit dem Aktivieren des Inhalts stimmen Sie zu. Weitere Infos finden Sie hier.
Be the first to leave a comment