“WNBA without Clark: The league feels the hurt.” That USA Today headline says it all. In just two games without Caitlin Clark, the impact has been devastating for the league. Ticket prices were down. Arena attendance dipped. And across the board, the league is feeling the absence of its crown jewel. But then came the Fever’s game against the Connecticut Sun. The numbers from that game suggest something totally different. Turns out, the WNBA will be just fine without her temporary absence!

The Indiana Fever’s June 3 game against the Washington Mystics will mark the third straight game that superstar Caitlin Clark will miss due to a left quadricep injury. Without her, the Fever have struggled unsurprisingly. They lost back to back to the Mystics and the Sun. Fan interest has also noticeably dipped. In Indiana’s May 28 loss to Washington, average viewership fell to 357,000, a 39% drop compared to Clark’s most recent active game.

Clark’s absence has opened the door for other Fever players to step up. In their most recent game against the Connecticut Sun, Kelsey Mitchell led the team with 13 points, while Aliyah Boston contributed 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists. DeWanna Bonner added 13 points, including three crucial three-pointers late in the fourth quarter.

Despite a spirited comeback, the Fever fell 85–83 to the previously winless Sun. Performances like these prove the Fever are still must-see basketball, even without their biggest name.

However, if you dive deep into the numbers, you will soon realize that despite Clark not playing, the Mystics game ended up being the 10th most-watched WNBA game in NBA TV history. And that trend continued in the Fever’s game against the Sun. According to a tweet from @CClarkReport, Friday’s matchup drew 851,000 viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA game on ION this season.

It also marked a viewership increase of over 100 percent compared to the same time  last year. The fact that the Fever continue to set television ratings benchmarks even without the sport’s crown jewel on the court speaks volumes. All eyes will be on Indiana’s rematch against the Mystics to see how the team performs and what the viewership numbers look like going forward without Clark.

While the TV numbers remain strong, there is one key market that has taken a big hit because of Clark’s absence. Let’s dive into that!

Betting Market takes a big hit without Caitlin Clark

Some fans are right to say that 851,000 viewers for a game isn’t that much. In fact, it’s a lot less than the 2.7 million that the Fever and Sky drew on May 17. But that number is still well above the league’s average TV viewership. So while the TV ratings without Clark are holding up pretty well, the betting market has taken a serious hit since her absence.

According to ESPN, the total money wagered on the Fever’s last two games without Clark was about half of what was bet during the team’s first four games with her playing. David Lieberman, who manages basketball odds at Caesars, told ESPN, “I figured it would have an impact for sure, but it goes to show just how big of a draw Clark is to both the league and the world of WNBA betting.”

Caitlin Clark is expected to miss at least two more games due to her injury, so TV ratings and betting amounts will probably stay low for now. But the fans have now shown that the W is more than just a one-woman show centered around Clark. Stay tuned for more updates!