May 17, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) shake hands before the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese Rivalry Game Draws ESPN WNBA Record Ratings

Originally posted on Women's Fastbreak on SI
By Grant Young | Last updated May 20, 2025 11:55 AM ET

There was a ton of anticipation for the showdown between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky for both teams' 2025 WNBA season debuts on Saturday, May 17.

Much of this is owed to the storied rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, which added a fascianting new layer during the third quarter of Saturday's game, when Clark fouled Reese hard while she was going for a layup, this prompting Clark to receive a flagrant foul and Reese to go at her before getting pushed away by Aliyah Boston.

In terms of the game's actual competitiveness, the Fever won in a 35-point blowout. But that didn't detract from fan intrigue, which is shown in a staggering announcement made by ESPN on May 20.

ESPN PR made an X post that wrote, "The most-watched #WNBA opening weekend EVER on ESPN platforms

"Sky-Fever
2.5M avg. viewers, 3.1M peak
Most-watched WNBA game EVER on ESPN platforms".

It also added that this Saturday showdown was a 115% increase in viewership from last year's regular season average on ABC.

The most-watched #WNBA opening weekend EVER on ESPN platforms

Sky-Fever
2.5M avg. viewers, 3.1M peak
Most-watched WNBA game EVER on ESPN platforms

Aces-Liberty
1.3M avg. viewers, 1.9M peak pic.twitter.com/cd8Pl3DcpM
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) May 20, 2025

It's also worth noting that the Las Vegas Aces vs. New York Liberty game that aired right before Fever vs. Sky amassed an average of 1.3 million viewers and peaked at 1.9 million, which is fantastic in its own right.

Some in the media space try to dispute the fact that Clark and Reese are rivals, if only because Clark has produced a better career on the court to this point. However, as Colin Cowherd said when speaking about the flagrant foul's aftermath on Monday, "Rivalries equal ratings".

Therefore, these ratings convey that this rivalry is alive and well.

This article first appeared on Women's Fastbreak on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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