The WNBA's opening weekend delivered a powerhouse showdown that had fans on the edge of their seats. The matchup between Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and Dallas Wings standout Paige Bueckers drew an impressive 2.49 million viewers on ABC, making it the second-most watched regular-season game in league history on ABC or ESPN.
In a thrilling contest that kept viewers glued to the action, the Wings edged out the Fever 107-104. The game's popularity extended beyond just WNBA fans—it ranked as the 14th most-viewed sports event of the past week, according to Nielsen's Big Data + Panel. Notably, the top 12 spots were all claimed by NBA playoff games, underscoring just how significant this WNBA matchup was.
Saturday's game was a showcase of elite talent, featuring the last four No. 1 overall picks in the WNBA draft: Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark for the Fever, and Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd for the Wings. For Clark, it marked her first regular-season game since last July, adding extra anticipation to an already star-studded event.
While the viewership was remarkable, it didn't quite surpass the 2.7 million who tuned in for last season's opener between Clark's Fever and Angel Reese's Chicago Sky. Still, the trend is clear: Clark's presence is a massive draw. In fact, the top three most-viewed WNBA games on ESPN or ABC all feature her, including a 2024 playoff game between the Fever and Connecticut Sun that averaged 2.54 million viewers.
The opening weekend doubleheader also featured a rematch of last season's finals between Las Vegas and Phoenix, which drew 1.15 million viewers. Combined, the doubleheader averaged 1.9 million viewers, making it the second-most-watched opening weekend for ABC and ESPN since they began broadcasting the league in 1997.
With a record 216 WNBA regular-season games and events scheduled across broadcast platforms this season—including ABC/ESPN, CBS, Amazon Prime Video, ION, NBC, USA Sports, and NBA TV—fans have more opportunities than ever to catch the action. And if this opening weekend is any indication, the league's momentum is only building.