WNBA Suffers Immediate Downturn After Caitlin Clark Is Eliminated from Playoffs
The WNBA has seen a sharp drop in ratings after Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark’s team was eliminated from the postseason.
USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan, who wrote a book about Clark’s impact on the WNBA, posted on social media about the decline.
“A bit of good news for the WNBA: Instead of losing 55% of TV audience when Fever go out (info below), the drop for semis Game 1 vs Game 1 of Fever-Aces a week earlier is 44-47%: 2.11M Fever-Aces ABC, 1.17M Liberty–Dream ABC, 1.12M Aces–Valkyries NBC/Peacock, All Sun vs NFL games,” she wrote Wednesday on X.
A bit of good news for the WNBA: Instead of losing 55% of TV audience when Fever go out (info below), the drop for semis Game 1 vs Game 1 of Fever-Aces a week earlier is 44-47%:
2.11M Fever-Aces ABC
1.17M Liberty–Dream ABC
1.12M Aces–Valkyries NBC/Peacock
All Sun vs NFL games
— Christine Brennan (@cbrennansports) October 7, 2026
Brennan was referring to an earlier period from May 28 to June 10 when Clark missed five games and over half the league’s audience vanished, according to Nielsen ratings.
Sports Illustrated published an article on Tuesday stating, “The WNBA’s first-round playoff TV ratings are impressive, and prove that the Indiana Fever advancing would have been a big win.”
“The bottom line is that Clark and the Fever advancing as deep into the postseason as possible would have been the best possible scenario for the league, in terms of viewership and mainstream interest,” the story read.
The Fever lost their opening series to the Las Vegas Aces 2-1.
Clark, who was initially seen as a WNBA savior for the financially struggling league, has become a lightning rod for controversy.
Despite Clark’s play and attitude bringing more attention to women’s basketball, she was rewarded with attacks — on and off the court — by opposing players.
She has often been flagrantly fouled, poked in the eye, elbowed, and tackled to the ground.
Average WNBA defense on Caitlin Clark 😭 https://t.co/fRt1TFUMMi
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) August 21, 2026
During the elimination game against the Aces, she took an elbow to the mouth late in the fourth quarter and was forced to leave the game briefly.
Caitlin Clark caught an elbow to the face and was bleeding from the mouth, but no foul was called 😳 https://t.co/fhTCaNSCRI
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 2, 2026
Clark appeared upset that the officials did not call a foul on the play.
However, she is currently in talks with the Fever for a massive contract extension this offseason, according to Bleacher Report.
Clark did not commit to signing the extension while speaking with reporters, but did say that “no matter what I’m going to be here and make sure we have the opportunity to be able to win championships.”
“No matter what I’m going to be here and make sure we have the opportunity to be able to win championships.”
Caitlin Clark is eligible for the WNBA’s “EPIC” extension, but says building the roster comes first. She says her main goal is to focus on winning, and she hasn’t discussed the extension with the front office yet.
— WISH-TV News (@WISHNews8) October 8, 2026
“That’s my main goal and obviously it’s a really cool opportunity,” she added. “My focus is on winning.”
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