Caitlin Clark has elevated women’s college basketball to unprecedented heights. The WNBA is banking on Clark having the same impact at the next level.
Via Chloe Peterson of the Indianapolis Star, 36 of the 40 games to be played by the Indiana Fever, which holds the first pick in the WNBA draft, are scheduled to be shown nationally, through television or streaming.
Eight games will be on ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2. Other games will be carried by Prime Video, CBS Sports Network, NBA TV, and ION.
It’s surprising, frankly, that only eight games are set for ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2. Clark is a proven draw. Why not put as many games as possible on platforms to which the most people have access?
The WNBA should revisit its plans, frankly. It should get more games on more prominent networks.
That’s how sports leagues grow. They showcase stars. The WNBA has a supernova coming soon. It would be foolish not to get more of her games on the league’s biggest broadcast partners.
That’s what the NFL does. It’s what every sports league will do.
Clark fans won’t have to wait long to see her again. The Fever start their 2024 regular season on May 15, at Connecticut. The game will be televised by ESPN2, starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.
She managed to generate NFL-style numbers for the final games of her college career. It becomes fascinating to see whether she can build similar audiences at the next level.