The Fever created multiple records with their national broadcast schedule for the 2026 season. Most national TV games in Fever history with 44. Most national TV games for a single team in WNBA history. And the only team in the WNBA to have 100% of their games on national broadcast this season. And we all know the reason behind these records: the “Caitlin Clark Effect.” The franchise cornerstone has pushed the Fever to force the WNBA to make unprecedented decisions. But pundits and fans alike have criticized the league for shining the spotlight on the cash cow too long, creating division and resentment among veteran players. Despite her contribution to the league, they ranked her ninth among guards, forcing ESPN’s Dick Vitale to call that “pure jealousy.” Analyst James Young recently echoed that sentiment on Outspoken with Dan Sileo.

“Let’s start with the Indiana Fear, except for Sophie Cunningham, who actually is the, I mean, Sophie Cunningham is the defender of this young lady. Stephanie White has failed her. The organization has failed her, but you know who’s really failed her? The WNBA. Here’s why. She is the cash cow. She is the one who signs all the cheques for the league, not Cathy Engelbert.

“But you know how they screwed this up. They put this girl on national TV every single game. You know what that creates, folks? That creates jealousy. So every other person that plays in the league is pissed off that this girl is getting all the money or getting all the ratings.”

Caitlin Clark’s impact on the WNBA isn’t a one-and-done incident. Instead, it has been a recurring event that has taken hold season after season. Right from the WNBA Draft in 2024, which drew 2.45 million viewers, to the 2026 season, Clark has carried the league’s broadcasting numbers on her back.

Behind Clark, the league’s average viewership grew exponentially over the last two seasons. With Clark, the league consistently drew millions of viewers, a feat that was rare before CC arrived in the W. Subsequently, with improved viewership, the WNBA also doubled down on better opportunities this season.

The WNBA is broadcasting every single game of Clark and the Indiana Fever on national television, including ABC, CBS, and NBC. Players like Paige Bueckers, Breanna Stewart, and A’ja Wilson got far fewer numbers than Clark and the Fever in that regard. Quite clearly, the WNBA has portrayed Clark and the Indiana Fever’s games as its crown jewels.

This is where Young feels the league distinguished Clark from the rest of the league, calling it a screw-up job by the WNBA. Further in the podcast, Young even emphasized that Clark should move out of Indiana to a major media market, such as Los Angeles or New York for her and the league’s benefit.

“Indiana. I don’t know if you deserve Caitlin Clark anymore. I’m gonna say she needs to go to a big media market where there is a multitude of sports teams and let her be an athlete and a mega star. Send her to LA, send her to New York. Send her to Chicago. But you get my point, send her to a major media market where she can make all the money for the league.”

From a broader perspective, the Indiana Fever’s broadcasting schedule might hint at the league’s favorability toward Clark. Young claims other players in the league won’t like that. But it’s important to understand that the WNBA’s decision wasn’t based on any random idea.

Instead, it was a calculated business plan based on the numbers Clark and the Indiana Fever have given the league over the last two years, during which the franchise has been one of the most-watched in the league. And this season as well, the situation around Clark and the Indiana Fever has been no different.

Indiana Fever dominate viewership ratings as Caitlin Clark struggles with physicality

The Fever have once again proved their footing as one of the most touted teams in the league. After redefining the league’s viewership metrics, Clark and the Fever are consistently scaling them higher.

Barely halfway through the season, the Fever have already established some mind-boggling numbers. Earlier this month, the Fever’s game against the New York Liberty averaged around 2.6 million viewers, according to Sports Media Watch. While that was not enough, the Fever’s matchup against the Dallas Wings also had around 2.5 million viewers.

Clark’s faceoff against Angel Reese in the Fever versus Atlanta game averaged 1.7 million viewers. Such numbers will only improve as the season progresses and the stakes rise for Clark and the Indiana Fever. The numbers and the financial endeavors associated with it will grow with Clark and the Fever on the court.

Now, it will be important for the WNBA to protect its players’ long-term sustainability from excessive physicality. In a recent instance, we saw Alyssa Thomas seemingly hit Clark on the neck. The league did make an example out of it by suspending Thomas for a game.

But her teammate, Sophie Cunningham, feels it’s a recurring incident Clark goes through every night. “Unfortunately, this type of s*** happens every single game to her, and the league and the refs do absolutely nothing about it,” Cunningham said at the Show Me Something podcast.

Not just Caitlin Clark or the Indiana Fever, the league needs to ensure that each of its players is protected from excessive physicality. Especially for someone like Clark, who drives so much business for the league and is the league’s most marketable athlete, according to Covers.com, this prevention is even more important from their long-term perspective.