WNBA game between Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream draws record 2.6 million cable viewers
The Sunday matchup featuring Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese averaged 2.6 million viewers on ESPN, setting a new cable television record for a WNBA game.
The Indiana Fever defeated the Atlanta Dream 95-91 in overtime on Sunday, drawing an average audience of 2.6 million viewers on ESPN, the highest ever for a WNBA game on cable television. The viewership peaked at about 4 million as the contest went to overtime. The average was 178% higher than ESPN’s regular-season WNBA average last year.
Caitlin Clark led the Fever with 26 points and nine assists, while Angel Reese contributed 15 points, 14 rebounds and six assists for the Dream. The game marked the latest high-profile meeting between the two players, whose rivalry began in the 2023 NCAA women’s championship.
The broadcast surpassed the previous cable record of 2.3 million viewers, also set during a Clark-Reese matchup earlier in June. Other recent games, such as Indiana’s 2-million-viewer contest against the New York Liberty, have also posted strong numbers, helping lift overall ESPN WNBA viewership 16% year-over-year to an average of 1.4 million.
League officials noted that the continued growth reflects increasing interest in women’s basketball, with marquee players like Clark and Reese drawing broader audiences.