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Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark having suffered a left quad strain (that will keep her off the court for at least two weeks) was obviously a big loss for the Fever, as Clark is the team's offensive maestro and main facilitator. And her absence was keenly felt during Indiana's May 28 loss against the Washington Mystics.
However, Clark being sidelined is also a tough blow for the WNBA as a whole. Given that she's women's basketball's biggest star and draws an unprecedented amount of eyeballs, there was no getting around the fact that fewer people were going to tune in to Fever games without her.
Although Clark's fan base isn't solely tied to her at this point, as they've also become Fever fans more broadly. This was demonstrated by a May 29 X post from Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press, which conveyed the ratings from the Fever's recent game against Washington.
"Guess people are fans no matter who plays. Fever/Mystics on NBA TV averaged 357K viewers, making it the 10th most-viewed WNBA game on NBA TV ever," Feinberg wrote.
Guess people are fans no matter who plays. Fever/Mystics on NBA TV averaged 357K viewers, making it the 10th most-viewed WNBA game on NBA TV ever.
— Doug Feinberg (@DougFeinberg) May 30, 2025
A good reference for this 357,000 number is the Fever's May 20 game against the Atlanta Dream, which Clark played in and was also broadcast on NBA TV. That game averaged 581,000 viewers. Therefore, Wednesday's contest was about a 39% drop from Clark's most recent active game that was broadcast on NBA TV.
NBA TV's most-viewed WNBA game was on September 11, 2024, between Clark's Fever and the Las Vegas Aces. That game averaged 678,000 viewers, according to X user @koyeahk.
Top 10 WNBA games on NBA TV viewership:
— ¯\(◉‿◉)/¯ (@koyeahk) May 30, 2025
9/11/24: Aces-Fever - 678K
9/1/24: Fever-Wings - 652K
8/26/24: Fever-Dream - 617K
5/20/25: Dream-Fever - 581K (new)
8/28/24: Sun-Fever - 580K
8/24/24: Fever-Lynx - 569K
.
.
.
5/29/25: Fever-Mystics - 375K (new) https://t.co/3McOnvPrXc
Still, the fact that Wednesday's game was the 10th-largest audience on NBA TV, despite Clark not playing, is a testament to how devoted Fever fans are — even without their shining star.
More must-reads:
- Three-time All-Star will be key to Fever weathering troubling Caitlin Clark injury update
- Yankees have finally found their third baseman in Ryan McMahon
- The 'NBA Summer League MVPs' quiz
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Lexie Hull News Emerges Before Chicago Sky Game
The Indiana Fever are set to face the Chicago Sky in their next matchup, with all eyes in the WNBA community pointed toward the league rivalry. Indiana is coming off a victory against the Las Vegas Aces, looking to maintain a postseason position in head coach Stephanie White's first season back. The Fever sit at 13-12 on the season, ranked No. 6 in the WNBA. Before they look to defeat the Sky in hopes of earning a win streak, notable news on Indiana Fever star Lexie Hull surfaced online. Hull has officially signed an endorsement deal with Portland Gear, a lifestyle bag and apparel company. "I'm excited to share a major milestone for Portland Gear — we’ve officially signed our first WNBA athlete, @lexiehulll, to an endorsement deal! Lexie isn’t just a rising star with the Indiana Fever; she’s a Pacific Northwest native whose values align with everything our brand and city stand for," posted Lexie Hull and the Portland Gear. Hull is playing in her fourth season with the Indiana Fever. The star guard has posted 7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. While Hull is viewed as a role player for the Fever, largely taking a back seat to players like Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, she's widely regarded as one of the best three-point shooters in the WNBA. The Fever guard has posted a 42.5 field goal percentage and a 43.7 three-point percentage this season. Lexie Hull is having a career season with the Indiana Fever. If the season ended today, each of Hull's major statistical averages would count as her career high. She's also making noise outside of the white lines, proving to be a star for the Fever on and off the court. Indiana will face the Chicago Sky on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
Nick Saban responds to speculation about coaching return amid NFL rumors
Shortly after former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback and current college football analyst Greg McElroy shared that someone "in the know" believes there's a possibility Nick Saban — who retired in January 2024 — might return to coaching, NFL insider Albert Breer suggested that the Dallas Cowboys could be a potential destination for the seven-time national champion. According to Mike Rodak of 247Sports, Saban was asked during a Friday appearance on Fox News if he intends to come out of retirement. "No, I'm really happy with what I'm doing right now," Saban responded. "It's exciting to still be involved in the game. It's exciting for me to work with athletic directors, conference commissioners, people in Congress to preserve the integrity of our game and continue to be able to create opportunities to help young people create value for their future that will help them be successful in their life, which is what we always try to do as a coach." Saban, now working as an ESPN analyst, will be 74 in October. Per Christian Datoc of the Washington Examiner, President Donald Trump could consider having Saban "lead a new commission examining problems arising with the growth of name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights and coinciding changes to the NCAA transfer process." Meanwhile, it's thought that Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones could look to hire a big-name candidate if first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer fails to impress during the 2025 campaign. Additionally, Fox Sports personality Colin Cowherd recently hinted that Saban could be interested in becoming the head coach of the Cleveland Browns if the team selects Texas quarterback Arch Manning as the first pick in the 2026 draft. "There is no opportunity that I know of right now that would enhance me to go back to coaching," Saban added during Friday's segment. "I enjoy what I'm doing. I did it for 50 years. I loved it. I loved the relationships with the players. I loved the competition. But it's another station of life now. I enjoy what I'm doing right now and want to continue to do it — spend more time with my family, my grandchildren, my children. It's been really, really good." The "right now" portion of Saban's comments attracted the attention of Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, who was quick to point out he did not say "no for good" regarding a return to coaching. In short, it seems that rumors about Saban's future could hover over the college and pro football communities through at least the rest of the year.
ESPN Predicts Mets-Twins Trade One Week Before Deadline
The New York Mets are a half-game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the NL East, but their pitching staff is still injury-ravaged despite the recent returns of Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas. Brandon Waddell (hip), Dedniel Nuñez (elbow), Max Kranick (flexor), Paul Blackburn (shoulder), Tylor Megill (elbow), Griffin Canning (Achilles), Drew Smith (elbow), A.J. Minter (lat), Danny Young (elbow), and Christian Scott (elbow) are alll on the Mets' IL. The MLB Trade Deadline is July 31 at 6 p.m. EST, so the front office has one week to add healthy arms from around the league this season. ESPN's David Schoenfield predicted on Thursday that New York would trade for a Minnesota Twins reliever. "One guarantee of the trade deadline: The Mets will add to the bullpen, probably with more than one trade. Though the rotation still ranks fifth in ERA, that was built off a hot start," he wrote. "More importantly, the only Mets starter to complete six innings since June 7 has been David Peterson. As a result, manager Carlos Mendoza has run relievers Reed Garrett, Huascar Brazoban, Jose Butto and Ryne Stanek into the ground. The bullpen had a 2.78 ERA through May, but that figure is over 5.00 since the beginning of June (ranking near the bottom of the majors)." "The Twins have two high-profile relievers in [Jhoan] Duran and [Griffin] Jax, both of whom are under team control through 2027, so they'll be much more expensive than your usual short-term relievers if the Twins decide to trade one or both," he continued. "Duran would be harder to deal -- but bring more in return -- so we'll say Jax will go. Don't be fooled by his 4.09 ERA: He has 68 strikeouts and 12 walks in 44 innings with a 97-mph heater. He's an elite strikeout reliever, the type you want on the mound in October." The Mets are hot despite their injuries, as they're on a four-game winning streak and just swept the Los Angeles Angels. Next up is a road trip against the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres. New York right-handed pitcher Clay Holmes (8-5, 3.48 ERA) will face Giants right-hander Logan Webb (9-7, 3.08 ERA) on Friday.
Packers rookie could miss time after suffering injury in training camp
The Green Bay Packers offense was dealt a bit of a blow early in training camp. Friday, third-round rookie wide receiver Savion Williams was a spectator for practice after suffering a concussion. Williams, chosen by the Packers with the No. 87 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft, is aiming to climb the depth chart at a crowded wide receiver position this summer. At 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, Williams ran the 40-yard dash in a blazing 4.48 seconds during the NFL Combine and has the profile of potentially becoming a reliable possession receiver and after-the-catch weapon for quarterback Jordan Love and the Packers’ offense. Reaching those benchmarks and climbing the depth chart will have to wait, though, as Williams works his way through the concussion protocol and back onto the field for practices during training camp and the preseason this summer.
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