After Caitlin Clark injury, WNBA ratings plummeted 55% (report)
Caitlin Clark’s injury has seriously impacted the WNBA’s TV ratings.
According to USA Today, Nielsen ratings have shown a 55% drop for the league since Clark injured her quad, and Indiana games are down 53%. On national television, the Fever averaged 1,810,000 viewers prior to her injury and 847,000 viewers in Clark’s absence.
Fortunately for both the Fever and the league, Clark was has been cleared to return for Saturday’s game against the New York Liberty.
The All-Star guard missed five contests with the quad injury. Prior to that, Clark averaged 19.0 points, 9.3 assists and 6.0 rebounds in Indiana’s first four games of the season.
Tyrese Haliburton Sends Caitlin Clark Message on Friday
As the faces of Indiana basketball, Tyrese Haliburton and Caitlin Clark embrace their roles in the community while forming a solid friendship. Haliburton worked with Clark’s boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, when the latter served as a Basketball Development Coordinator for the Indiana Pacers during the 2023-24 season.
Their relationship became stronger during Clark’s rookie season. It was common to see Haliburton at her games while she tried to figure out the rhythm of the WNBA.
Clark got better and put on 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.3 steals, shooting 40.3% from the floor, 31.4% from deep and 75% from the free-throw line to turn a terrible 1-9 start into a 20-20 record, the sixth seed in the standings and the team’s first playoff appearance since 2016.
Haliburton accompanied during a big chunk of that season and he hasn’t stopped pushing the Indiana Fever guard.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) has developed an adorable friendship with Fever star Caitlin Clark and her boyfriend Connor McCaffery.Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Ramona Shelburne of ESPN shared on Friday that their friendship has transcended the court and the two Indiana stars go on double dates with their respective partners.
“The four of us hang out all the time,” Haliburton said. “She goes through a lot, as you know. There’s a lot of weight and eyes on her. Obviously, there is on me as well, but hers are amplified times a million.”
The contrasts between Haliburton and Clark’s turnovers have become a common topic in their messages. The 23-year-old guard reveals the former Sacramento Kings floor general, who posted a 5.6 assist-to-turnover ratio this season, picks on her whenever she doesn’t take care of the ball.
“He’ll text me after a game when I have 10 turnovers and be like, ‘Nice triple-double,’” Clark said.
Haliburton admits that he has fun at the expense of Clark’s mistakes, but that is also his way to let her know what she should be working on.
“I mess with her about it,” Haliburton said. “But she’s going to do what she does. She’s going to keep growing. She makes the right play more times than not.
“Basketball is a genderless language. We both just love the game.”
Clark has paid close attention to Haliburton and the Pacers’ performances this offseason. The team is unbeaten (8-0) when she attends games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Pacers have a big chance to go up 3-1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight, before Clark’s Fever host the Liberty on Saturday.
