ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 16: Caitlin Clark 22 of Indiana warms up prior to the start of the WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA game between the Indiana Fever and the Atlanta Dream on August 16th, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA. Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire WNBA: AUG 16 Indiana Fever at Atlanta Dream EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260816069
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 16: Caitlin Clark 22 of Indiana warms up prior to the start of the WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA game between the Indiana Fever and the Atlanta Dream on August 16th, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA. Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire WNBA: AUG 16 Indiana Fever at Atlanta Dream EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260816069
The Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark made the 3.31 million-viewer night a landmark for the league. The Fever appeared in 13 of the 15 highest-viewed WNBA games of 2026, an advantage that extended far beyond just the sport.
Mark Martin, a former NASCAR driver, provided a humorous suggestion about how far the appeal might extend in relation to Phil Sanchez's viewership graph on X.
"Maybe we should try to put Caitlin in a @NASCAR race. See the effect on viewership," Martin said.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - AUGUST 11: Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark 22 throws a pass against the New York Liberty on August 11, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA AUG 11 New York Liberty at Indiana Fever EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon26081143
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - AUGUST 11: Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark 22 throws a pass against the New York Liberty on August 11, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA AUG 11 New York Liberty at Indiana Fever EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon26081143
The reason behind that is that Clark is one of those few athletes who can shift TV ratings for television like nobody else. Her match against the Chicago Sky on August 23 garnered 3.31 million viewers on NBC, the highest-ever viewership for the WNBA since 1997.
The first-round match against the Las Vegas Aces garnered 2.25 million viewers on USA Network despite being aired against Thursday Night Football.
Last year, her absence served as a good comparison point. The Fever and Aces participated in a must-win Game 5 without the injured Clark, which drew an average of 1.83 million viewers on ESPN2, about 420,000 less than the current decider game.
There are also statistics that NASCAR needs to keep track of. Cup Series races have drawn an average of 2.458 million viewers over 33 weeks, a 1.5% decline from 2025, but the first four Chase races have seen a 6% increase to around 1.7 million viewers.
However, regardless of Martin's joke, Clark's fan base is one that was created through production, and her 2026 season confirmed it.
Caitlin Clark's Record-Setting 2026 Season Ended Without a Playoff Series Win
Clark came back from a year plagued by injuries in 2025. She became the first player in WNBA history to record 800 points and 300 assists in a season, finishing with 891 points and 333 assists.
She recorded averages of 22.3 points, 8.3 assists, and 4.0 rebounds and took Indiana to a record of 28-16, being awarded AP Comeback Player of the Year. Her faster off-the-ball play came at the expense of having the most live-ball turnovers in the league with 120.
The playoffs presented her with her finest series to date, even though the outcome was not in her favor.
Clark scored an average of 20.0 points and 9.7 assists in the series, but the Aces star player, A’ja Wilson, along with her team, won Game 3 94-83.
Clark moves into her fourth and last season under her rookie contract in 2027 and is yet to record her first playoff victory. She is already in good books with the ratings, and the next challenge will be securing a playoff triumph.
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Written by
Utsav Gupta
Edited by
Utsav Gupta