Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry helps WNBA crush TV record

Clark and company are a box-office draw. Sports Media's Watch Jon Lewis reported that the Fever has played in the five most-watched WNBA games since 2002. Two of these five matchups came against the Reese-led Sky. 

During their college careers, Clark (Iowa) and Reese (LSU) faced off in monumental NCAA Tournament games, which shattered TV records. This could be one reason the highly touted rookies now draw audiences to the pros. 

"It's an obvious entry point for fans of Clark or Reese, or anyone who was part of the record-setting audiences that tuned in for women's college basketball over the past couple of seasons," wrote The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach. "The public has already been drawn to these players and their personalities, and they want to see what happens when they continue to clash, even with different names on the front of their jerseys."

Remember that Clark and Reese play for teams that aren't among the league's elite.

"I enjoy watching [Clark and Reese] trying to have success in the W," women's basketball analyst Andraya Carter said Monday on ESPN's "First Take." "But if we're being completely honest, their teams are having a mid-off right now. Their teams are just very mid. They're eighth and ninth in the WNBA standings."

Imagine what will happen if both teams improve and become championship contenders. They'll likely attract even larger audiences, which could further the league's growth and help it secure a lucrative new media rights deal. Front Office Sports' Michael McCarthy reported the WNBA may use the newfound momentum to quadruple its media rights fee to $240M annually.