The WNBA continues to post some of its strongest television audiences of the past 25 years, with the Indiana Fever once again at the center of the league’s ratings boom.
Tuesday’s Indiana Fever–New York Liberty regular-season matchup averaged 2.01 million viewers on ESPN, making it the fourth-most-watched WNBA game ever on cable. The only three cable games to attract larger audiences were all from 2024: Caitlin Clark’s WNBA debut against the Connecticut Sun (2.11 million), her second meeting with Angel Reese (2.30 million), and the winner-take-all Game 5 of the WNBA Finals (2.15 million).
The Fever’s victory peaked at 2.35 million viewers during the 9 p.m. ET quarter-hour and became the eighth-largest WNBA audience of the 2026 season. With the exception of the All-Star Game, every game in the league’s top eight has featured Indiana.
Fever continue to drive WNBA’s TV growth
Last Saturday’s Fever–Chicago Sky matchup averaged 2.56 million viewers on ABC, tying for the fourth-largest audience of the season. The only games ahead of it were another Fever–Liberty matchup on CBS (2.58 million), Fever–Las Vegas Aces on NBC’s Sunday Night Basketball (2.64 million), and the WNBA All-Star Game on ABC (3.15 million).
Looking at the broader historical picture, Tuesday’s Fever–Liberty game tied for the sixth-largest WNBA audience since 2000.
The numbers underline the extraordinary impact of Caitlin Clark on the league’s television business. All 11 of the WNBA’s most-watched games since 2000 have involved Clark in some capacity, including eight Indiana Fever games, two All-Star appearances and the 2024 WNBA Draft, when she was selected first overall.
Strong numbers across national broadcasters
The Fever were not the only team contributing to strong WNBA television figures.
CBS averaged 1.31 million viewers for the Las Vegas Aces–Minnesota Lynx matchup, while ABC drew 1.29 million for the later New York Liberty–Aces game.
The Lynx also appeared in two nationally televised games last weekend. Their matchup with the Dallas Wings averaged approximately 1.6 million viewers on NBC, combining the Nielsen-estimated linear audience of 1.465 million with Adobe Analytics figures.
Meanwhile, ESPN averaged 805,000 viewers for the Golden State Valkyries–Los Angeles Sparks game as part of Women’s Sports Sundays.
WNBA comfortably ahead of last year
The latest figures further highlight the league’s year-over-year television growth.
During the same weekend in 2025, only two WNBA games were nationally televised, both on ABC. Fever–Seattle Storm averaged 1.60 million viewers, while the Minnesota Lynx’s 53-point win over the Aces attracted 822,000 viewers.
The August 6 Aces–Fever game on Prime Video has yet to receive its final audience figures. Those numbers are expected next week, with the dramatic overtime finish potentially putting the game among the streamer’s most-watched WNBA broadcasts of the season.
The continued strength of Fever games is giving the WNBA a major boost across its national media partners, with Caitlin Clark emerging as the central driver of the league’s unprecedented television momentum in 2026.