REPORT: New Data Shows Just How Screwed the WNBA Is Without Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark looking on.Caitlin Clark (Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images)
With Caitlin Clark sidelined for at least two weeks, the WNBA better brace itself for a brief drop in viewership.

On Monday, the Indiana Fever announced that their All-Star guard will miss at least two weeks after straining her left quadriceps. Clark was injured in the club’s 90-88 home loss to the New York Liberty on Saturday.

Indiana’s season-opening win over Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky averaged 2.7 million viewers and had a peak of 3.1 million, as noted by The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch. Multiple reports also stated this was the most-watched WNBA regular season tilt in 25 years.

So for those who think Caitlin Clark isn’t single-handedly influencing WNBA viewership and attendance, the data doesn’t lie. Further information, passed along by Front Office Sports, shows how worrisome her absence is for the WNBA.

As you can see in Front Office Sports’ chart below, the five most-watched WNBA regular season games of the last two years featured Clark and the Fever. Each contest delivered over 2.2 million viewers:

To add insult to injury, ticket prices for the highly anticipated Fever-Sky game on June 7 at the United Center (home of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks) have also dropped since news of Caitlin Clark’s injury.

If the two-week timeline is accurate, Clark will hopefully return for Indiana’s June 10 road game against the Atlanta Dream. Before the June 7 meeting, the Fever have a road game against the Washington Mystics (tonight), vs. the Connecticut Sun (Friday) and vs. Washington on June 3.

Caitlin Clark Was Off To An Excellent Start Before Injury

Caitlin Clark (Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images)

The 23-year-old Clark was putting up all-world numbers before her quad injury. Through Chicago’s first four contests, the No. 1 pick of 2024 averaged 19.0 points, 9.3 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game.

 

Fearne Cotton has broken her silence on split from husband Jesse Wood in her first TV interview since the breakup.

Joining Lorraine Kelly on Monday’s episode of the ITV show, the TV presenter, 43, also gave an health update after having two tumours removed from jaw.

Fearne announced her split from Jesse, the son of Rolling Stones bass guitarist Ronnie Wood, in December after 10 years of marriage.

She has since made swipes at Jesse and moved on with TV director Elliot Hegarty, with the pair having been seen kissing during a recent night out.

Fearne has had a difficult few months after undergoing surgery to remove two benign tumours from her jawline, just days before her split with Jesse emerged.

She told host Lorraine: ‘It’s all very amicable and kids are doing great. I am in a very good place.’place.’

Fearne Cotton has broken her silence on split from husband Jesse Wood in her first TV interview since the breakup
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Fearne Cotton has broken her silence on split from husband Jesse Wood in her first TV interview since the breakup

Fearne announced her split from Jesse, the son of Rolling Stones bass guitarist Ronnie Wood , in December after 10 years of marriage (both pictured in February 2024)
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Fearne announced her split from Jesse, the son of Rolling Stones bass guitarist Ronnie Wood , in December after 10 years of marriage (both pictured in February 2024)

Discussing her recent surgery, she added: ‘I feel very grateful to have completely recovered.

‘I feel really good. I have a lot of people reaching out who have had the same thing.’

Davina McCall, 56, announced in November she’d been diagnosed with a colloid cyst, a rare type of benign brain tumour, and has supported Fearne.

She continued: ‘Everyone needs a Davina. She’s been amazing, weird that we had the same health thing going on at the same time. She’s so calming and we speak every day. She is just the best

It comes after Fearne has seemingly made another thinly-veiled dig at her ex-husband as she gushed that she is the happiest she’s ever been in a positive update.

Speaking to Scott Mills on his BBC Radio 2 breakfast show, Fearne gushed that she is ‘really happy’ and is ‘springing out of bed in the morning ready for life’.

Scott, who has known Fearne for 25 years, said he has never seen her ‘more positive or happier’, prompting Fearne to agree and reply: ‘Yeah I feel great!’

She told how her health scare has changed her outlook and said she has been seeking comfort from Davina.

Joining Lorraine Kelly on Monday's episode of the ITV show, the TV presenter, 43, also gave an health update after having two tumours removed from jaw
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Joining Lorraine Kelly on Monday’s episode of the ITV show, the TV presenter, 43, also gave an health update after having two tumours removed from jaw

It comes after Fearne has seemingly made another thinly-veiled dig at her ex-husband as she gushed that she is the happiest she's ever been in a positive update
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It comes after Fearne has seemingly made another thinly-veiled dig at her ex-husband as she gushed that she is the happiest she’s ever been in a positive update

‘I’m really happy and I think when you’ve had a health thing like that it does just give you this baseline gratitude where you just feel, you know I have talked to Davina a hell of a lot as our operations were within a month of each other which so weird,’ she continued.

‘We’ve had so many brilliant chats about yeah just feeling very grateful for the basics and sort of springing out of bed in the morning ready for life so yeah I’m feeling good I’ve got lots of exciting stuff happening this year so I’m ready for it!’

Reflecting on her health scare, Fearne said she is ‘massively grateful’ because she didn’t think the lump was anything to worry about, before learning it was a tumour.

‘I went for an ultrasound and it ended up being a tumour, which was obviously a big surprise,’ she explained.

‘Now I feel absolutely great I’m really grateful and you know go and get those lumps and bumps checked out if you’ve got them it’s really really important.

‘I really thought this is going to be a non-event and it ended up being you know major surgery, but I’m healthy and feeling great and just massively grateful.’

Fearne had the benign tumour removed just days before her split from her husband Jesse – who she shares her son Rex and daughter Honey with – emerged.

‘It is with a heavy heart that I let you all know that Jesse and I are ending our marriage,’ the radio host said in an online post at the time, saying their priority would ‘always be’ their children.

Fearne is also stepmother to Jesse’s children Arthur, 21, and Lola, 18, from his first marriage to Tilly Wood.

Jesse, 48, has since moved on his former actress and model, Gemma Gregory, 39, who now works in the wellness business and hosts the Happy Place podcast.

Meanwhile, Fearne is said to have been secretly dating TV director Elliot Hegarty since January.

Their romance emerged when they were seen passionately kissing on a night out in Soho before they walked hand-in-hand while accompanied by friends.

The single mother, 51, was said to be ‘totally shocked and devastated because she only knew that Elliot and Fearne were friends’ and a friend told the Mail: ‘It was an awful way for her to find out and it has been quite ghastly for her.’

Fearne recently spoke about wanting to have a ‘burst of fun’ and ‘go and get p***ed’ following the end of her marriage.

Fearne has since moved on with TV director Elliot Hegarty (pictured in September), with the pair having been seen kissing during a recent night out
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Fearne has since moved on with TV director Elliot Hegarty (pictured in September), with the pair having been seen kissing during a recent night out

Fearne has also had a difficult few months after undergoing surgery to remove two benign tumours from her jawline, just days before her split with Jesse emerged
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Fearne has also had a difficult few months after undergoing surgery to remove two benign tumours from her jawline, just days before her split with Jesse emerged

Speaking to Women’s Health UK, Fearne made a swipe at her ex-husband as she told how she has ‘missed out on having fun’.

She shared: ‘I’ve dedicated the past 12 years to being a mum and building Happy Place [the award-winning podcast and wellness festival Fearne launched in 2018] I still want to do all of that, but I’ve been missing out on just having fun.

‘Now I’m in my forties, I want more fun; to see mates, have lunches at my house and cook for everyone, go on little nights out and dinners and not care so much about getting back late.’

The couple had reportedly faced challenges for several years, with Fearne previously admitting that their marriage had been ‘suffering’ as far back as 2019.

Speaking at the time, Fearne said Jesse’s demanding schedule with his band Reef had put a strain on their relationship which left them desperately ‘clinging onto their marriage’ in an unearthed interview.

Fearne and Jesse tied the knot in July 2014 three years after they started dating. They met while partying in Ibiza the year after his split from his first wife Tilly.