Sunday’s WNBA playoff recreation between the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces was the most-watched semifinal spherical recreation the league has seen in 22 years.
The sport drew a mean of 929,000 viewers, up 60% from the semifinals final yr.
The numbers of the rematch of final yr’s WNBA Finals received the eye of Jemele Hill, who appeared to attempt to make a degree about Caitlin Clark.
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Jemele Hill and Caitlin Clark (Getty Photographs/IMAGN)
“And but I preserve seeing irresponsible headlines claiming the WNBA playoffs are down due to no Caitlin Clark,” Hill wrote on X.
Regardless of historic numbers for the WNBA, it may be argued rankings would have been a lot greater had Clark been enjoying.
After Clark drew a WNBA report 1.84 million viewers for her first playoff recreation in opposition to the Connecticut Solar Sept. 22 whereas competing with an NFL Sunday, she adopted it up with one other report viewers of two.54 million viewers for Sport 2. Clark and the Indiana Fever misplaced each video games, nevertheless, sending Clark house for the offseason.
That Sport 2 viewership was greater than double what the Liberty and Aces drew earlier this week.
Hill, although, regardless of her tackle “irresponsible headlines,” admitted viewership could be greater with Clark.
“Would the rankings be greater if she had been in it? In fact. However guess what, [an NBA] Finals would price greater if it had been Lebron vs. Steph. Or, if large market groups had been within the combine. So what? That’s the headline.”
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark reacts throughout a first-round WNBA playoff recreation in opposition to the Connecticut Solar Sept. 25, 2024, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photograph/Jessica Hill)
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Nonetheless, it was traditionally good for any WNBA playoff recreation that does not contain Clark. It was higher than any of the TV numbers for the finals video games between the 2 groups final yr.Â
Each of these video games have additionally fallen effectively behind a few of Clark’s regular-reason video games when it comes to viewership. In early September, Clark’s Indiana Fever performed in entrance of a TV viewers of 1.26 million viewers in a recreation in opposition to the Minnesota Lynx that was performed concurrently a Week 1 Friday evening NFL recreation between the Philadelphia Eagles and Inexperienced Bay Packers.Â
Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever celebrates throughout a recreation in opposition to the Los Angeles Sparks Might 24, 2024, at Crypto.com Enviornment in Los Angeles. (Adam Pantozzi/NBAE through Getty Photographs)
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Clark was named the WNBA’s Rookie of the Yr Thursday, receiving 66 of the 67 first-place votes. Angel Reese obtained the remaining vote.
Fox Information’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
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